“This entire region is the battlefield.” Red says, waving her hand over the forest region of the map. It’s drawn out with little scribbled trees, the word ‘forest’ written in one language or another, scribbled out within. We clearly don’t have a cartographer here, so it’s not surprising that the map is of a quality that I could reproduce.
“What’s our current war strategy?” I ask, looking over the vast expanse. “As I understand it, we’re not trying to hold and defend the land. Against the wood mages that’d be insane.”
“No, we’re only defending our home and the land near it.” Red says, “We’re fighting for blood. Hunting them down while they’re in the forest and slaughtering as many as we can. They can’t attack us if their dead.
“It’s still not working great. They can move through those tunnels faster and without being worried about traps. Worse we can’t really do much about the tunnels while we’re on the surface.”
“What changes now that we have antidotes for the poison? We can afford to be more aggressive?” I ask.
“We can.” She says with a sharp nod. “I’d be willing to push them harder, but the poison isn’t the key problem. The battlefield is too well suited to our enemy. We need to take them out of their environment…”
“Our options?”
“The city or the ocean.” Red shrugs, “The city is well defended, but flooding the tunnels… we don’t have any way to do it.”
“So, we attack the city… Have you had the chance to scout it out?”
“Yes.” She replies. “We don’t have the numbers or strength to win a full battle for the city.”
“Not surprising.” I whisper, gritting my teeth as I look over the sketched-out map.
In the background I can see Nel introducing Thresh to the assorted ingredients that we have stored here. The things we seized from the original owners of the place. Apparently, there’s quite a good selection and she’s already throwing things into her bags.
I’ll have to swap out her Chip in a moment when we have everything ready, but for now she’s much more interested in looking through the leaves, bones, and everything else we have around.
“A raid it is then. You could’ve just told me as much from the start. Or are you testing me, seeing that I’ll come to the same solution?” I ask. “Also, is a raid possible?”
“It is.” She nods, smiling down at me. “I forget that you’re not an egotistical prick sometimes. You’re actually easy to work with.”
“Oh, I have an ego.” I reply. “But let’s get back to the war, shall we?”
“A raid is possible, and as you well understand, the best option for us. It’ll take everything we have to pull this off, and it’ll be bloody. People will die.”
“So long as it’s the right people dying, I don’t mind.” I reply, glaring down at the map.
“Kyra.” Red says in a lower whisper. “Some of our soldiers are going to die doing this. We’re too close to evenly matched.”
“Let’s make it as few as possible.” I grunt, steadying my hands on the table.
Who is it going to be? Will Eshya make it through this? Vii? Adler? Red? I’d send them home, but I refuse to disrespect them like that. We need every soldier possible, but… if any of them die… I’ll wait and grow… and eventually I’ll be powerful enough to tear this entire world apart.
”Arduelle. See it that my lovers are protected in this coming battle. Teleport them out, or heal them, or whatever you have to do.” I send her the message, unsure what she’ll do about it.
If she let’s them die, then I’ll see that she joins them one day.
“We’ll need a good plan.” I say.
“Plans turn to shit often as not.” Red replies, steadying her gaze on me. Judging me.
“Which is why we have plan B, then plan C after it, and if everything falls apart so bad that every last one of our plans fails, then we have you to improvise and get us through.”
“You’re not going to take over?”
“If I have any wonderful ideas I’ll certainly speak up. I’m not yet prepared to lead a battle like this and I’m not going to get others killed pretending. That said, I will need to be beside you. Even if you’re in control for this battle, I still need to be there.”
“As a figurehead?”
“Every king relies on his generals.” I reply. “But a smart king doesn’t get in the way.”
“You know, I think I like being a general.” Red says with a smile. “Following orders into hell is a little easier when I’m giving the orders.”
“Woah there. I’m still the empress here.” I say. “I might need to order you to back down if you go too far.”
“I doubt you’ll find the need.” She replies, smiling bright.
“Yes, well, do we have some idea where the wood weavers and this poison freak are hiding in the city?”
“Paskel.” Red spits. “Tkarn told us about him. We’ve already seen his ruthlessness, and his poisons are… unpleasant. He lives in this side of the city with a group of wood weavers and gremlin minions. They’re not the only wood weavers though, we won’t be able to completely wipe their kind out without taking the whole city.
“There’s a few ways into the city.” She continues. “Over the walls, under the walls, through the walls. Unfortunately none of our ideas are quick enough. If the gremlins have a chance to respond, we’ll be outnumbered in no time.”
“This territory here? It’s dangerous?” I ask, pointing at a large red mark near the city.
“High up in the trees.” Red says shaking her head. “There’s a species of swarm birds in their early crystal stage. I can’t think of a way to use them.”
“I’ll send a message to the local slayer groups we’ve dealt with before, maybe they can tell us more. We should at least be familiar with how to deal with them in case they trouble us during the mission.” I say, looking over the battlefield.
“This port is on the right side…” I say. “How is the battle in the waters going? Have the twins taken over yet?”
“No.” Red shakes her head. “They can hold their own, however, so we could cross the waters, but we don’t have any ships.”
“Right…” I look around. “What’s the chance they’d follow us if we escaped by ocean?”
“Their best mages are the wood weavers; I haven’t seen any of them keen for a swim. They probably won’t follow us.”
“Good.” I reply, seeing an opportunity. “What about the air?”
“No flying.” Red says. “Those swarmer birds are very aggressive to anything that flies. I could survive, but… assuming we could fly everyone in, they wouldn’t survive.”
“Also means we won’t be chased by fliers, I suppose.” I say, nodding over the map as I trace out a few lines over the lake.
“I think I have a plan coming together.” I say, “How is Bessy? You think she’d be happy to get a new set of armour?”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“You’re not going to do anything to me while I’m sleeping?” Thresh asks, glaring at me suspiciously.
“No.” I reply glaring down at her as she lies down on the bed. “Look, you know that we need your help here. We’re not going to do anything to you besides what we’ve already discussed. We’re just swapping out your support device for a new one.”
“You could be trying to put me in a collar.” She says.
“We’re combat course students.” I reply, pointing at Adler. “And she’s a welfare officer. If we wanted to collar you, it wouldn’t be that difficult. Just slap it on and it’s done.”
“Really? That’s it?” She asks.
“Ah, I forget they don’t really teach people these things if you’re not a combat student.” I say, pressing the potion on her. “Anyway, get to sleep.”
As soon as she stops fighting me and drinks the potion down, everything goes easy. I’ve done this plenty of times by this point and it’s really just like pulling the sim card from an old phone, and stuffing a new one in.
Though it’s inside of a person.
And it invades everything, even their brain.
“Done. Wakey, wakey.” I say waving another potion under her nose. The magic of this one unravels slowly into a gaseous state, running up her nose and mouth before shocking her awake.
“How long?”
“Half a minute.” I say with a shrug. “Look through your menus. I want you familiar with your new alchemy Skills, see if you can do anything with them before you get to brewing.”
“New alchemy Skills?!” She shouts excitedly, looking through the system. “You weren’t lying?!”
I don’t bother to reply. She’s not paying attention to the real world anymore.
“Nel, can you guide her while we walk?” I ask, turning towards Red and the twins. It’s still strange to me how much leniency we’ve been given by the dungeons.
“Arduelle really is more lenient with us than I expected.” I say.
“Eh? Not really.” Leai replies, by my side hopping along excitedly. “That instant death spell is a little mean, isn’t it?”
“Instant death spell?” I ask while sending the same words in a message right to Arduelle.
“I do need to make certain that these fools can’t cause trouble by crawling up to the surface. Also, I’m giving this alchemist of yours a spying device, since you want her to get back to the academy.” Arduelle messages back.
“You should have informed me that you’re keeping my people hostage.”
“They’re not hostages.” The dungeon replies. “They’re only going to be punished if they do something to cause me trouble. If you do something to bother me, I’ll deal with you personally, but I know you’re well behaved so it’s not a problem.”
I can’t contain a small growl that builds up as I read her words, but I know she doesn’t really mean it as a threat. She needs to protect herself, and she’s making it clear that she’ll do what it takes. I still wish that she would protect mine with as much fervour, but then that’s just a silly thought.
“So, what’s the plan?” Leai asks. “It sounds like we’re going to have some fun if you’re face looks like that!”
“The plan is to attack the city and kill everyone causing us trouble.” I say.
“Ha, that’s definitely going to be fun.” Leai says.
“And dangerous.” Her sister whispers lower.
“Less dangerous than the alternatives that I’m aware of.” I say. “Though I expect that the gremlins will be pissed after this.”
“Well, yes.” Red replies. “About that. I’d suggest we retreat from our base. Turn it into a giant trap for whoever they send to attack us.”
“Where would we retreat to?” I ask.
“Anywhere safe. If we can get them up to the ruins?”
“No.” Arduelle replies, and I’m not sure if she’s just being petty or if it’s a genuine issue for her.
I shake my head.
“We could turn to the local lord for support again, I suppose.”
“Then that’s what we do.” Red replies.
“I want to fight. Why should we give up our home?” Leai asks, huffing.
“We’re not giving it up. We’re fighting for it.” I say. “You’ll be there with us and everyone else who can fight. In fact, is there a way to flood our base. It’d work as a nice surprise attack, and give the twins a good advantage.”
“I can’t come up with a way to make it happen.” Red replies, shaking her head.
“What if we get the water on the roof to fall down over our base?” Leai suggests, her tentacle hair waving about in excitement.
We continue to strategize until we reach the beginning of the dungeon, whereupon Thresh finally turns away from her invisible screens to gaze over the cornucopia of rich ingredients right before her. I can’t help but watch her reaction, it’s always a small thrill to see how people react to the sight.
“I… thank you. Thank you for allowing me to come here.” She whispers, her eyes wide as she takes in all that’s before her.
“Yes, well it comes with its own dangers.” I say. “Don’t tell anyone on the surface about this. The dungeons friend will see you dead if you do.”
“The dungeon… Are there mana crystals here?!” She demands, grabbing my arm. “Do you know what I could do with mana crystals?!”
“There are. They’re growing on the walls, but we’ve only come across a few smaller examples.” I say.
“The larger ones would likely be deeper inside.” Red says. “Frey’s a bit different from normal dungeons so we can’t really be sure though. The crystals are grown to help the local species grow stronger. I’m not sure Frey would need to work the same as other dungeons. This situation rather is unusual with the academy world outside of it all.”
“We’ll get you what we can.” I tell Thresh, taking a first step down the slope, careful not to let anything slip down the slope into the water. While the twins seem to be having fun down there, I’m not sure they can protect us if a whale sized beast leaps up at us right this moment. I’ll have to make sure that they can protect a ship before I get my plan moving.
“So, how are people reacting?” I ask Red. “To the deaths?”
“Better than I expected.” Red says, looking away. “Most are training with as much of their spare time as they can afford. Only a few have locked themselves up, but Slan has been going around pulling them out of their rooms and getting them back on their feet. He’d make for a good sergeant.”
“I thought sergeants were meant to be tough and mean?” I ask.
“Not my sergeants.” She replies. “A good sergeant does everything you can’t. For me that means someone who can deal with the really traumatised and troubled soldiers.”
“I thought you hated those sorts of people.” I say.
“I hate the lazy ones.” She replies. “The ones genuinely suffering I can sympathise with, when there’s time to spare on them. Slan is doing well bringing them back, so I don’t need to do anything yet.”
“You mean I don’t have to do anything about it.” I reply. “Remember, I promised to deal with all that.”
“And you’ve done… an acceptable job of it.” She replies. “Slan was too soft with the people who were just lazy, and that machine of yours is helping.”
“Well, so long as you remember to come to me with those problems. I’m still your leader remember, so it’s my responsibility that you have everything you need.”
“Like funerals?” She asks.
“Yes. That too.” I reply stiffly, a few cold flames flickering to life about the ball of fury in my chest. Seeing my expression, Red nods in understanding before turning back towards the wild forests around us.
As we march on, guarded by Red and the twins, I discuss with Nel what preparations have been made for the funerals. Our conversation is enough to take the edge off of Thresh’s excitement, but she still looks all over the forest with wide eyed joy as she clutches the gear that she’s pulled together, some of it taken from our base in the ruins.
She’ll do well down here. I’m sure of it.
A few of the things Nel describes worry me, but I have to work with what I have, and I’m not going to deny these people their culture. Not when it doesn’t get in the way of my plans at the very least.
The guards watching over the entrance to our base are much more weary than the last I saw of them, but there’s a confidence in them than wasn’t there before. They hold their shields and weapons closely and affectionately, gazing about the forest, and the ground especially, with suspicion.
“You’re back!” One soldier shouts enthusiastically, the same as seems to always be here when I return. He’s really too exuberant for a good soldier, but for a gatekeeper he’s perfect.
“It’s good to see you’re still well.” I say, smiling as I look over the group of them. “It seems our home is well defended.”
“Not well enough.” Another guard grunts, staring down at his feet.
“Which we’re going to fix.” I say. “If your handy with that spear, then I’m sure you can help out.”
“I have been.” He hisses. “I’ve been here, fighting and… and it’s not enough.”
“Then we fight harder.” I say. “We get better at it, and the next time the enemy comes, we make sure that they die before they can do anything.”
He straightens his grip on his spear, but it’s not going to be enough. We have direction, but we need a victory to give them hope.
Inside our base the atmosphere is uncomfortable. There’s a positivity that feels too heavy, to the point of being fake, while some people are weeping openly without anyone surprised. I quickly go about my business, but thankfully almost everything is essentially already prepared. My return is perfectly timed, it seems.
It doesn’t take long to get everyone gathered into the halls, the guard and patrol groups set to be rotated so that everyone gets a chance to be here for this.
Tables have been set up and we’ve laid out cutlery and dishes. A few people sit near me, weeping softly. The friends closest to the deceased.
Too many people watch the walls with suspicion. Worried the enemy will tear them down, like they did before.
Unacceptable.
Thresh sits at the table, her fingers twitching, as she looks out of place. Thankfully Nel and Vii are with her at the moment to keep her in place and calm her down. A funeral isn’t the best introduction to our home, but it’s what we have to do right now.
“Thank you all for coming here.” I say. Standing up and looking to everyone gathered. “I’ve brought you all here so that we can pay respects to our dead.
“Sharna and Kiol, were both with us since the prison break. They’ve struggled alongside us, but no more. I won’t speak for them, instead I would like to hear from those who knew them best before we start.”
I wave to one of those who sits near to me, weeping in the memory of their lost loved one. At first I thought that perhaps he was a friend to Sarna, but as Chip interprets the words that he presses out, I soon discover that he’d only just fallen in love with the girl.
It was a tenuous relationship, built out of stress, fear, and desperation as much as anything else. A tale that strikes too close to my own heart.
Unacceptable.
Kiol’s friend speaks next, they’re not as much of a speaker. Dry and distant. The words sound almost hollow coming from him. He gives up speaking mid-sentence collapsing into the chair and staring down at a jar in his hands.
Unacceptable.
I let the silence hang for a few moments more before standing.
“We must not forget them.” I say, trying to find the right words to express myself. “They were us.”
“I assure you, that those who have done this will pay.” I say. It’s easier to reach into the rage. “We have plans to ensure the safety of our home, and to end the threat these gremlins pose. We will make them pay, but that discussion is for tomorrow.”
“For today. We have discussed things with Kiol’s friends. It was his wishes that should he die he would be cremated and his ashes would be spread over the earth. A ritual among his people, he’ll leave behind seeds that might one day sprout into children, that can grow in the place he calls home.
“He is our people and this is our home. His ashes will be scattered over the earth above us, and those sproutlings will be protected.”
Kiol’s friend lifts the jar that contains the ashes, his eyes never leaving it.
“Sharna’s people lived by another ritual. For her people, and for her, it is important that the dead be consumed by their people, that they might live on, their flesh becoming our flesh, their mana becoming our mana. Living on through us, and after our deaths, through those who come after us.
“In accordance to that ritual, her remains have been carefully prepared on this table. Anyone here is free to… participate.” I swallow back the words and bile. “Though, know that you are not obligated.
“For today, we remember them. Tomorrow… Tomorrow we ready for war.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Skills & Stats
~Mana Form:
Current mana density: 1512 units
~Mana distribution:
Defence: 84/84%
Offense: 0/68%
Mana sense: 0/96%
Recovery: 0/44%
Gluttony: 0/34%
Misc.: 0/44%
Efficiency: 84/100%
~Favourited Skills:
-Chip Shredder
-Multi-mind
-Tag
-Mana surge movement
-Reactive defence
-Fire burst punch
-Annihilation magic
-Charged casting (Annihilation)
-Mana form flow fixer
-Branching magic
-Swimming
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
//Author Note
More chapters available
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“This entire region is the battlefield.” Red says, waving her hand over the forest region of the map. It’s drawn out with little scribbled trees, the word ‘forest’ written in one language or another, scribbled out within. We clearly don’t have a cartographer here, so it’s not surprising that the map is of a quality that I could reproduce.
“What’s our current war strategy?” I ask, looking over the vast expanse. “As I understand it, we’re not trying to hold and defend the land. Against the wood mages that’d be insane.”
“No, we’re only defending our home and the land near it.” Red says, “We’re fighting for blood. Hunting them down while they’re in the forest and slaughtering as many as we can. They can’t attack us if their dead.
“It’s still not working great. They can move through those tunnels faster and without being worried about traps. Worse we can’t really do much about the tunnels while we’re on the surface.”
“What changes now that we have antidotes for the poison? We can afford to be more aggressive?” I ask.
“We can.” She says with a sharp nod. “I’d be willing to push them harder, but the poison isn’t the key problem. The battlefield is too well suited to our enemy. We need to take them out of their environment…”
“Our options?”
“The city or the ocean.” Red shrugs, “The city is well defended, but flooding the tunnels… we don’t have any way to do it.”
“So, we attack the city… Have you had the chance to scout it out?”
“Yes.” She replies. “We don’t have the numbers or strength to win a full battle for the city.”
“Not surprising.” I whisper, gritting my teeth as I look over the sketched-out map.
In the background I can see Nel introducing Thresh to the assorted ingredients that we have stored here. The things we seized from the original owners of the place. Apparently, there’s quite a good selection and she’s already throwing things into her bags.
I’ll have to swap out her Chip in a moment when we have everything ready, but for now she’s much more interested in looking through the leaves, bones, and everything else we have around.
“A raid it is then. You could’ve just told me as much from the start. Or are you testing me, seeing that I’ll come to the same solution?” I ask. “Also, is a raid possible?”
“It is.” She nods, smiling down at me. “I forget that you’re not an egotistical prick sometimes. You’re actually easy to work with.”
“Oh, I have an ego.” I reply. “But let’s get back to the war, shall we?”
“A raid is possible, and as you well understand, the best option for us. It’ll take everything we have to pull this off, and it’ll be bloody. People will die.”
“So long as it’s the right people dying, I don’t mind.” I reply, glaring down at the map.
“Kyra.” Red says in a lower whisper. “Some of our soldiers are going to die doing this. We’re too close to evenly matched.”
“Let’s make it as few as possible.” I grunt, steadying my hands on the table.
Who is it going to be? Will Eshya make it through this? Vii? Adler? Red? I’d send them home, but I refuse to disrespect them like that. We need every soldier possible, but… if any of them die… I’ll wait and grow… and eventually I’ll be powerful enough to tear this entire world apart.
”Arduelle. See it that my lovers are protected in this coming battle. Teleport them out, or heal them, or whatever you have to do.” I send her the message, unsure what she’ll do about it.
If she let’s them die, then I’ll see that she joins them one day.
“We’ll need a good plan.” I say.
“Plans turn to shit often as not.” Red replies, steadying her gaze on me. Judging me.
“Which is why we have plan B, then plan C after it, and if everything falls apart so bad that every last one of our plans fails, then we have you to improvise and get us through.”
“You’re not going to take over?”
“If I have any wonderful ideas I’ll certainly speak up. I’m not yet prepared to lead a battle like this and I’m not going to get others killed pretending. That said, I will need to be beside you. Even if you’re in control for this battle, I still need to be there.”
“As a figurehead?”
“Every king relies on his generals.” I reply. “But a smart king doesn’t get in the way.”
“You know, I think I like being a general.” Red says with a smile. “Following orders into hell is a little easier when I’m giving the orders.”
“Woah there. I’m still the empress here.” I say. “I might need to order you to back down if you go too far.”
“I doubt you’ll find the need.” She replies, smiling bright.
“Yes, well, do we have some idea where the wood weavers and this poison freak are hiding in the city?”
“Paskel.” Red spits. “Tkarn told us about him. We’ve already seen his ruthlessness, and his poisons are… unpleasant. He lives in this side of the city with a group of wood weavers and gremlin minions. They’re not the only wood weavers though, we won’t be able to completely wipe their kind out without taking the whole city.
“There’s a few ways into the city.” She continues. “Over the walls, under the walls, through the walls. Unfortunately none of our ideas are quick enough. If the gremlins have a chance to respond, we’ll be outnumbered in no time.”
“This territory here? It’s dangerous?” I ask, pointing at a large red mark near the city.
“High up in the trees.” Red says shaking her head. “There’s a species of swarm birds in their early crystal stage. I can’t think of a way to use them.”
“I’ll send a message to the local slayer groups we’ve dealt with before, maybe they can tell us more. We should at least be familiar with how to deal with them in case they trouble us during the mission.” I say, looking over the battlefield.
“This port is on the right side…” I say. “How is the battle in the waters going? Have the twins taken over yet?”
“No.” Red shakes her head. “They can hold their own, however, so we could cross the waters, but we don’t have any ships.”
“Right…” I look around. “What’s the chance they’d follow us if we escaped by ocean?”
“Their best mages are the wood weavers; I haven’t seen any of them keen for a swim. They probably won’t follow us.”
“Good.” I reply, seeing an opportunity. “What about the air?”
“No flying.” Red says. “Those swarmer birds are very aggressive to anything that flies. I could survive, but… assuming we could fly everyone in, they wouldn’t survive.”
“Also means we won’t be chased by fliers, I suppose.” I say, nodding over the map as I trace out a few lines over the lake.
“I think I have a plan coming together.” I say, “How is Bessy? You think she’d be happy to get a new set of armour?”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“You’re not going to do anything to me while I’m sleeping?” Thresh asks, glaring at me suspiciously.
“No.” I reply glaring down at her as she lies down on the bed. “Look, you know that we need your help here. We’re not going to do anything to you besides what we’ve already discussed. We’re just swapping out your support device for a new one.”
“You could be trying to put me in a collar.” She says.
“We’re combat course students.” I reply, pointing at Adler. “And she’s a welfare officer. If we wanted to collar you, it wouldn’t be that difficult. Just slap it on and it’s done.”
“Really? That’s it?” She asks.
“Ah, I forget they don’t really teach people these things if you’re not a combat student.” I say, pressing the potion on her. “Anyway, get to sleep.”
As soon as she stops fighting me and drinks the potion down, everything goes easy. I’ve done this plenty of times by this point and it’s really just like pulling the sim card from an old phone, and stuffing a new one in.
Though it’s inside of a person.
And it invades everything, even their brain.
“Done. Wakey, wakey.” I say waving another potion under her nose. The magic of this one unravels slowly into a gaseous state, running up her nose and mouth before shocking her awake.
“How long?”
“Half a minute.” I say with a shrug. “Look through your menus. I want you familiar with your new alchemy Skills, see if you can do anything with them before you get to brewing.”
“New alchemy Skills?!” She shouts excitedly, looking through the system. “You weren’t lying?!”
I don’t bother to reply. She’s not paying attention to the real world anymore.
“Nel, can you guide her while we walk?” I ask, turning towards Red and the twins. It’s still strange to me how much leniency we’ve been given by the dungeons.
“Arduelle really is more lenient with us than I expected.” I say.
“Eh? Not really.” Leai replies, by my side hopping along excitedly. “That instant death spell is a little mean, isn’t it?”
“Instant death spell?” I ask while sending the same words in a message right to Arduelle.
“I do need to make certain that these fools can’t cause trouble by crawling up to the surface. Also, I’m giving this alchemist of yours a spying device, since you want her to get back to the academy.” Arduelle messages back.
“You should have informed me that you’re keeping my people hostage.”
“They’re not hostages.” The dungeon replies. “They’re only going to be punished if they do something to cause me trouble. If you do something to bother me, I’ll deal with you personally, but I know you’re well behaved so it’s not a problem.”
I can’t contain a small growl that builds up as I read her words, but I know she doesn’t really mean it as a threat. She needs to protect herself, and she’s making it clear that she’ll do what it takes. I still wish that she would protect mine with as much fervour, but then that’s just a silly thought.
“So, what’s the plan?” Leai asks. “It sounds like we’re going to have some fun if you’re face looks like that!”
“The plan is to attack the city and kill everyone causing us trouble.” I say.
“Ha, that’s definitely going to be fun.” Leai says.
“And dangerous.” Her sister whispers lower.
“Less dangerous than the alternatives that I’m aware of.” I say. “Though I expect that the gremlins will be pissed after this.”
“Well, yes.” Red replies. “About that. I’d suggest we retreat from our base. Turn it into a giant trap for whoever they send to attack us.”
“Where would we retreat to?” I ask.
“Anywhere safe. If we can get them up to the ruins?”
“No.” Arduelle replies, and I’m not sure if she’s just being petty or if it’s a genuine issue for her.
I shake my head.
“We could turn to the local lord for support again, I suppose.”
“Then that’s what we do.” Red replies.
“I want to fight. Why should we give up our home?” Leai asks, huffing.
“We’re not giving it up. We’re fighting for it.” I say. “You’ll be there with us and everyone else who can fight. In fact, is there a way to flood our base. It’d work as a nice surprise attack, and give the twins a good advantage.”
“I can’t come up with a way to make it happen.” Red replies, shaking her head.
“What if we get the water on the roof to fall down over our base?” Leai suggests, her tentacle hair waving about in excitement.
We continue to strategize until we reach the beginning of the dungeon, whereupon Thresh finally turns away from her invisible screens to gaze over the cornucopia of rich ingredients right before her. I can’t help but watch her reaction, it’s always a small thrill to see how people react to the sight.
“I… thank you. Thank you for allowing me to come here.” She whispers, her eyes wide as she takes in all that’s before her.
“Yes, well it comes with its own dangers.” I say. “Don’t tell anyone on the surface about this. The dungeons friend will see you dead if you do.”
“The dungeon… Are there mana crystals here?!” She demands, grabbing my arm. “Do you know what I could do with mana crystals?!”
“There are. They’re growing on the walls, but we’ve only come across a few smaller examples.” I say.
“The larger ones would likely be deeper inside.” Red says. “Frey’s a bit different from normal dungeons so we can’t really be sure though. The crystals are grown to help the local species grow stronger. I’m not sure Frey would need to work the same as other dungeons. This situation rather is unusual with the academy world outside of it all.”
“We’ll get you what we can.” I tell Thresh, taking a first step down the slope, careful not to let anything slip down the slope into the water. While the twins seem to be having fun down there, I’m not sure they can protect us if a whale sized beast leaps up at us right this moment. I’ll have to make sure that they can protect a ship before I get my plan moving.
“So, how are people reacting?” I ask Red. “To the deaths?”
“Better than I expected.” Red says, looking away. “Most are training with as much of their spare time as they can afford. Only a few have locked themselves up, but Slan has been going around pulling them out of their rooms and getting them back on their feet. He’d make for a good sergeant.”
“I thought sergeants were meant to be tough and mean?” I ask.
“Not my sergeants.” She replies. “A good sergeant does everything you can’t. For me that means someone who can deal with the really traumatised and troubled soldiers.”
“I thought you hated those sorts of people.” I say.
“I hate the lazy ones.” She replies. “The ones genuinely suffering I can sympathise with, when there’s time to spare on them. Slan is doing well bringing them back, so I don’t need to do anything yet.”
“You mean I don’t have to do anything about it.” I reply. “Remember, I promised to deal with all that.”
“And you’ve done… an acceptable job of it.” She replies. “Slan was too soft with the people who were just lazy, and that machine of yours is helping.”
“Well, so long as you remember to come to me with those problems. I’m still your leader remember, so it’s my responsibility that you have everything you need.”
“Like funerals?” She asks.
“Yes. That too.” I reply stiffly, a few cold flames flickering to life about the ball of fury in my chest. Seeing my expression, Red nods in understanding before turning back towards the wild forests around us.
As we march on, guarded by Red and the twins, I discuss with Nel what preparations have been made for the funerals. Our conversation is enough to take the edge off of Thresh’s excitement, but she still looks all over the forest with wide eyed joy as she clutches the gear that she’s pulled together, some of it taken from our base in the ruins.
She’ll do well down here. I’m sure of it.
A few of the things Nel describes worry me, but I have to work with what I have, and I’m not going to deny these people their culture. Not when it doesn’t get in the way of my plans at the very least.
The guards watching over the entrance to our base are much more weary than the last I saw of them, but there’s a confidence in them than wasn’t there before. They hold their shields and weapons closely and affectionately, gazing about the forest, and the ground especially, with suspicion.
“You’re back!” One soldier shouts enthusiastically, the same as seems to always be here when I return. He’s really too exuberant for a good soldier, but for a gatekeeper he’s perfect.
“It’s good to see you’re still well.” I say, smiling as I look over the group of them. “It seems our home is well defended.”
“Not well enough.” Another guard grunts, staring down at his feet.
“Which we’re going to fix.” I say. “If your handy with that spear, then I’m sure you can help out.”
“I have been.” He hisses. “I’ve been here, fighting and… and it’s not enough.”
“Then we fight harder.” I say. “We get better at it, and the next time the enemy comes, we make sure that they die before they can do anything.”
He straightens his grip on his spear, but it’s not going to be enough. We have direction, but we need a victory to give them hope.
Inside our base the atmosphere is uncomfortable. There’s a positivity that feels too heavy, to the point of being fake, while some people are weeping openly without anyone surprised. I quickly go about my business, but thankfully almost everything is essentially already prepared. My return is perfectly timed, it seems.
It doesn’t take long to get everyone gathered into the halls, the guard and patrol groups set to be rotated so that everyone gets a chance to be here for this.
Tables have been set up and we’ve laid out cutlery and dishes. A few people sit near me, weeping softly. The friends closest to the deceased.
Too many people watch the walls with suspicion. Worried the enemy will tear them down, like they did before.
Unacceptable.
Thresh sits at the table, her fingers twitching, as she looks out of place. Thankfully Nel and Vii are with her at the moment to keep her in place and calm her down. A funeral isn’t the best introduction to our home, but it’s what we have to do right now.
“Thank you all for coming here.” I say. Standing up and looking to everyone gathered. “I’ve brought you all here so that we can pay respects to our dead.
“Sharna and Kiol, were both with us since the prison break. They’ve struggled alongside us, but no more. I won’t speak for them, instead I would like to hear from those who knew them best before we start.”
I wave to one of those who sits near to me, weeping in the memory of their lost loved one. At first I thought that perhaps he was a friend to Sarna, but as Chip interprets the words that he presses out, I soon discover that he’d only just fallen in love with the girl.
It was a tenuous relationship, built out of stress, fear, and desperation as much as anything else. A tale that strikes too close to my own heart.
Unacceptable.
Kiol’s friend speaks next, they’re not as much of a speaker. Dry and distant. The words sound almost hollow coming from him. He gives up speaking mid-sentence collapsing into the chair and staring down at a jar in his hands.
Unacceptable.
I let the silence hang for a few moments more before standing.
“We must not forget them.” I say, trying to find the right words to express myself. “They were us.”
“I assure you, that those who have done this will pay.” I say. It’s easier to reach into the rage. “We have plans to ensure the safety of our home, and to end the threat these gremlins pose. We will make them pay, but that discussion is for tomorrow.”
“For today. We have discussed things with Kiol’s friends. It was his wishes that should he die he would be cremated and his ashes would be spread over the earth. A ritual among his people, he’ll leave behind seeds that might one day sprout into children, that can grow in the place he calls home.
“He is our people and this is our home. His ashes will be scattered over the earth above us, and those sproutlings will be protected.”
Kiol’s friend lifts the jar that contains the ashes, his eyes never leaving it.
“Sharna’s people lived by another ritual. For her people, and for her, it is important that the dead be consumed by their people, that they might live on, their flesh becoming our flesh, their mana becoming our mana. Living on through us, and after our deaths, through those who come after us.
“In accordance to that ritual, her remains have been carefully prepared on this table. Anyone here is free to… participate.” I swallow back the words and bile. “Though, know that you are not obligated.
“For today, we remember them. Tomorrow… Tomorrow we ready for war.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Skills & Stats
~Mana Form:
Current mana density: 1512 units
~Mana distribution:
Defence: 84/84%
Offense: 0/68%
Mana sense: 0/96%
Recovery: 0/44%
Gluttony: 0/34%
Misc.: 0/44%
Efficiency: 84/100%
~Favourited Skills:
-Chip Shredder
-Multi-mind
-Tag
-Mana surge movement
-Reactive defence
-Fire burst punch
-Annihilation magic
-Charged casting (Annihilation)
-Mana form flow fixer
-Branching magic
-Swimming
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
//Author Note
More chapters available
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