The Land: Alliances (Chaos Seeds Book 3)

CHAPTER 22

They burned the bodies of the bugbears. Richter used the cape of one of the bugbears as a burial shroud, and carried the body over his shoulder. Phorin turned out to be able to hobble along on an impromptu crutch after being healed two more times. The party started forward towards home, battered and bloodied, but barring one tragic exception, still alive.

The villagers thanked Richter and the sprites profusely for their help. Every one of them had thought they had seen their last day when the bugbears had started their taunting distraction. Richter just kept walking. Now was not the time for criticism, but it was clear that tighter control needed to be exerted on his people. The dead body on his shoulder would not be there if this group had just remained inside of the mists. It occurred to him that he didn’t even know the man’s name and Analyze wouldn’t work now that he had died. A question to Drissa supplied the answer though, Barden.

The sun was down well before they reached the mists, but Richter was able to light the way with his magic. Despite the fact that everyone was exhausted, no one wanted to stop before reaching the safety of the village. Their pace was seriously slowed by his villager with the broken leg, but he didn’t complain once, so they just slowly trudged onwards.

They walked well into the night until they finally reached the mists. Once they did, Richter summoned two mist workers, one to carry Barden’s body and the other to carry the hobbled villager. The man complained slightly at being picked up, but quieted when he saw the look on Richter’s face. The chaos seed was just ready to be home! To further that end, he gave immunity to Kenzo and five other sprites. The captain sent the rest of his people back to the Hearth Tree to share a detailed report of the intelligence he had gained from the Ranger. The rest of the party continued onward.

Before they had gone two miles Futen came along in response to a mental call Richter had sent out as soon as they had reached the mists. With the remnant’s light boosted to maximum, traveling became much easier. The party increased their speed somewhat as they did their best to cross the remaining miles. As Richter walked, he dealt with his notifications.

You have been awarded 7,937 (base 105,824 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 14 Bugbear Raider.

You have been awarded 3,918 (base 52,243 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 10 Bugbear.

You have been awarded 3,294 (base 43,916 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 9 Bugbear.

You have been awarded 5,579 (base 74,387 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 12 Bugbear.

You have been awarded 3,451 (base 46,009 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 10 Bugbear.

You have been awarded 2,217 (base 29,562 x 0.06 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 8 Bugbear.

You have been awarded 39,329 (base 524,381 x 0.05 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 26 Bugbear Ranger.

Your familiar has reached level 20!

You familiar has reached level 21!

TRING!

You have reached level 24! Through hard work you have moved forward along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

TRING!

You have reached level 25! Through hard work you have moved forward along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

You have either characteristic points or skill percentage points to allocate from the previous level. Now that you have progressed again, you must allocate your points within the next week or they will randomly be assigned for you.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Analyze.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 15 in Tracking. +1% attack bonus vs individual prey. You can follow older tracks.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 11 in Archery. +2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 7 in Imbue Arrow. +5% damage. +5% speed of mana flow.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 4 in Focus. Zoom increased by 0.1x.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Small Blades. +2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Dual Casting. The spell power of a dual casting is doubled at skill level one. Advancing in this skill will increase this bonus by 2% per skill level. At this level, total spell power increased by 224%. Mana cost of each individual spell increased by 300% (Cost decreased by 4x skill level). At this level, mana drain increased by 276%. Chance of spell miscast decreased by increasing this skill. This number is affected directly by spell level and caster’s proficiency in that branch of magic.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 12 in Air Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Life Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Dark Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Light Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Fire Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 2 in War Leader. +1% effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 3 in War Leader. +1% effective distance. +1% attack and defense for all allies.

Know this! You have saved some of your villagers from certain death. Loyalty of those villagers increased by +300 each. Relationship with those villagers increased to Loyal.

Dismissing all of his prompts, Richter decided to hold off on allocating the points for his levels. He did do something he had been putting off though, and invested one point into Alma’s Psi Blast.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Psi Blast to level 2. The mental disruption caused will now also cause direct health damage. The 2-4 second stun effect is increased to 5-7 seconds. The initial AoE of 10 feet can be increased to 15 feet with a corresponding drop in the blast’s effectiveness or narrowed to five feet with an increase in the blast’s effectiveness. Cooldown decreased to four minutes.

Alma did a loop in the air and blasted her improved Psi Blast straight up into the air. She didn’t hurt anything, but it was clear that his familiar enjoyed the fact that she was now carrying a bigger stick! Alma seemed to be the only member of the group that wasn’t completely exhausted. Richter smiled at his familiar, and her exuberance helped to ease his mood. With everything that had happened, he decided to take a look at his status page.

Name: Richter

Age: 24

Level: 25, 25%

Health: 632 Mana: 454 Stamina: 300

Strength: 32

Agility: 32

Dexterity: 38

Constitution: 41

Endurance: 30

Intelligence: 41

Wisdom: 24

Charisma: 24

Luck: 17

Abilities:

Limitless

Gift of Tongues

Fast Learner

Bounty of Life

Psi Bond

Qualities:

Resolute

Honorable

Implacable

Skills:

Herb Lore Lvl 40; 47% to next level

Alchemy Lvl 2; 48%% to next level

Enchantment Lvl 28; 0% to next level

Crafting Lvl 1; 0% to next level

Smithing Lvl 1; 0% to next level

Analyze Lvl 9; 11% to next level

Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 54% to next level

Stealth Lvl 13; 61% to next level

Traps Lvl 22; 22% to next level

Trap Disarm Lvl 22; 18 to next level

Tracking Lvl 15; 23% to next level

Riding Lvl 7; 76% to next level

Archery Lvl 11; 48% to next level

Imbue Arrow Lvl 7; 9% to next level

Focus Lvl 4; 47% to next level

Double Shot Lvl 2; 11% to next level,

Drill Shot Lvl 2; 81% to next level

Swordsmanship Lvl 1; 43% to next level

Small Blades Lvl 6; 12% to next level

Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 78% to next level

Pressure Points Lvl 1; 0% to next level

Dual Wield Lvl 1; 0% to next level

Light Armor Lvl 10; 72% to next level

Grace in Combat Lvl 8; 12% to next level

Dual Cast Lvl 6; 68% to next level

Air Magic Lvl 12; 17% to next level

Life Magic Lvl 7; 53% to next level

Earth Magic Lvl 6; 11% to next level

Water Magic Lvl 5; 74% to next level

Dark Magic Lvl 8; 94% to next level

Light Magic Lvl 7; 37% to next level

Fire Magic Lvl 6; 74% to next level

Map Making Lvl MAX

Trade Lvl 13; 0% to next level

War Leader Lvl 3, 51% to next level

Portal Construction Apprentice

Lore Lvl 1

Marks:

Master of Mist Village

Blood Oath

Forge of Heavens

Resistances:

Air 50%

Life 50%

Mental 35%

Spiritual 15%

Race: Human (Chaos Seed)

Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”

Alignment: Neutral

Language: All

That done, and with Barden’s body no longer physically weighing on him, he felt free to discuss certain matters with his villagers. They told him that several groups like their own had been created by Terrod. Each group was comprised of two melee fighters, two ranged fighters, and one of the Air mages Richter had created. He nodded at the wisdom in that, though he still intended to have words with his Companion regarding discipline. While his people needed to get tougher, they just weren’t ready to venture past the mists yet.

After several more hours, dawn broke, and not long after, Richter came over a last rise and saw his village for the first time in a week. The farms lay to the south and the pastures lay to the southwest, just as he remembered them. He watched both being worked by his villagers. Men and women weeded the fields, watered the plants and tended the livestock. Mist workers toiled silently to dig the trench surrounding the farms. Beyond the farms, the earthwork walls were slowly being converted into walls of marbled quartz. Even now, Richter could see a mist worker carrying a rectangular block the size of an ice chest toward an empty section.

Five ships were anchored in the river to the west, but his escort did not seem surprised or upset about seeing them. He assumed the trade delegation had come back, but why it was still here or why there were extra ships was beyond him, so Richter let it go for now. Besides, he was overcome with gazing upon the beauty before him. Beyond the village proper, he looked up at the hill that rose to the north with a backdrop of mountains. Green trees lined the edge of the hill, but Richter could see a flash of silver and white as well. He smiled. It was good to be home.

He said goodbye to Kenzo and the other sprites who were anxious to be home. Kenzo was eager to personally speak to the elders about what he had learned. Richter thanked him one last time, and then they parted company. As he walked through the fields, his people shouted out. They came over and welcomed him back with smiles and happy greetings. Richter stopped for a second to connect with his villagers, but he didn’t wait long. He had to find out what had been happening while he was gone.

He was surprised to see two villagers, a human and gnome, standing guard at the gates. Each was wearing a conical helmet, shining new chain mail, and had a round high steel shield. Both also held a spear with a high steel head. The gnome’s weapon was sized slightly smaller to fit his shorter stature. The guards slapped their fists to their chests and nodded their heads slightly. A firm “Milord” issued from both of their mouths. Somewhat taken aback by their formal tone, he nonetheless gave a nod in return before walking into the village.

Richter turned to Futen. “Go as quickly as you can to the Great Seal. Randolphus will almost definitely be there this time of day. Tell him to wait for me. Then go and find Sumiko and tell her we have an injured man who needs help. The mist workers will carry him to the base of the catacombs. Then find Quasea, Zarr, Ulinde, Terrod, Sion, Krom, Roswan, Shivona and Basil and have then meet me at the Great Seal. Lady Hisako isn’t in the village is she?”

“No, my Lord.”

“Then gather the rest and join me in the room off of the Great Seal when you are done.”

“Yes, my Lord,” came the deadpan reply. The remnant moved quickly away.

Richter kept walking towards the slope that led to the Great Seal. More villagers cheered his return, and he also came across more guards equipped the same as the ones at the gate. Each saluted him by clapping a first over their hearts. Clearly some things had changed while he was gone.

Two guards had been placed at the entrance to the catacombs. Richter nodded to each as he walked by. He walked down the tunnel and made his way into the room of the Great Seal. Seeing the physical representation of his power again, he stopped and took a moment to gaze at it. Two of the four spirals showed signs of power and life, just as they had since he had awakened his second power. They pulsed and flashed with rich and powerful magic. It made the contrast of the other two even more striking. The spirals of Dark and Water magic remained only cold inert tile.

Awakening his other powers had to be a priority, but there was just so much else to do! Richter suddenly felt the heavy weight of his responsibilities. He had to conquer levels of the catacombs, he had to persuade the dwarves to fight against the bugbears, he had to deal with the scourge, he had to rescue more of the nonhumans from Yves, protect his people from Count Stonuk, deal with Ronin and the Night Blades and now maybe even the Ouroboros assassin guild. It seemed like there was always more and More and MORE!

Richter closed his eyes and breathed a deep breath. He struggled to find his center. He couldn’t allow himself to be crushed under the worries of tomorrow. Richter had been taught at an early age that every insurmountable problem was just a series of smaller problems that could be conquered. What was important, was that he not give up. He took another deep breath and the moment of self-doubt and pity passed. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Randolphus was looking at him.

“Welcome back, my Lord,” the tall man said. “I am happy to see that you have prevailed. If I’m not mistaken, you have come back stronger.”

“It’s good to be back, Randy,” he said with a grin. “And yes, I have been through quite a bit, but I came out the other side stronger. Now, I’m assuming you have a lot to speak with me about?”

“I do indeed, my Lord,” he answered while stepping back and gesturing towards his office.

“Others are going to be joining us, Randy. Let’s go to the room with the large table instead.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

Randolphus walked back into his office to retrieve some files, while Richter walked into what was, in effect, his conference room. He noticed as he was walking that another two guards had been placed at the entrances to the treasury and armory. Richter realized that he should have instituted measures like this before now. He didn’t let himself spiral back downward with recriminations though, he just walked into his conference room.

Sitting at the head of the large rectangular table, he tried to get comfortable. Shifting in the wooden chair, he decided to invent the La-Z-Boy at the first opportunity. This thing was seriously uncomfortable.

The chamberlain joined him at the table and started filling Richter in on what had happened in his absence, starting with when Terrod had been brought back by the okami. Sion had immediately taken a group of villagers and sprites to find him. They followed the trail of the okami back to the where Richter had slain Sonirae and her accomplice. Then they had found the site of his battle with the rock giant. Sion hadn’t known exactly what had attacked him, he had only known it was very large. Though the search party had barely rested over their days of travel, Sion immediately took off along the trail of devastation the rock giant had left in its wake.

Sion had ultimately found the collapsed cave. Richter’s tracks had led inside and the rock giant’s had clearly led off to the north. Sion and the others had apparently spent several hours digging, but to no avail. He had then started the trip back to the village to wait for either Richter’s return or his rebirth.

Randolphus continued his story with what had happened in the village while Sion had been gone. After spending a small amount of time with Isabel, both Terrod and his love had approached Randolphus. Both said they had been in seclusion long enough. Richer nodded along. He had already known that Isabel would be taking an active role in the village thanks to the completed quest prompt he had received.

Terrod had taken charge of the village’s defenses. The very next morning after his return, he had called for an assembly of all of the villagers. Terrod had spoken passionately about how special the Mist Village was and how it deserved to be protected. He reminded them of the harsh laws of Yves, of the beatings, of the rapes, of the murders. According to Randolphus, he had stoked the fires of their anger and indignation, then he asked them if they would let anyone or anything force them back to that life.

That wasn’t all though. Isabella had joined him in addressing the crowd. She had shared some of the stories of the indignities she had suffered. She had told the other villagers about how Richter had rescued her. She had spoken about how he sent her to safety when Ronin had attacked the fleeing party, and had stayed behind to fight. She pointed out other villagers who had been captives and asked if their freedom was worth fighting for. She had asked the loved ones of the former captives, if they would fight to make sure their families weren’t torn apart again! Then she had simply asked them if they would fight for the man who had offered them the right to choose their own fates.

Randolphus told him that although Terrod had fired up the villagers, it was at the end of Isabella’s speech that every villager was on their feet and shouting Richter’s name. Terrod had to restrain many of the villagers from immediately running out of the village to search for their Lord. The crowd had apparently shouted in fury and fervor for long minutes until they could be calmed. Afterwards, more than a hundred villagers were clamoring to sign up for the militia. Randolphus had interviewed all of them and found that while almost sixty people had been going to fight to preserve the safety of the village after Terrod had spoken, those numbers had more than doubled after Isabella speech.

Since then, the forges had been going into overdrive to equip those who agreed to serve. Terrod had also been able to convince almost everyone who had agreed to serve in the militia to swear fealty to the village and its Master. Richter smiled when Randolphus related that part. It would make what he had planned much easier. He still wasn’t sure exactly what being a Companion entailed, but whatever else it meant, Terrod and Sion had been indispensable in Richter’s rise to power. Terrod’s Comradery ability was amazing. The story also explained to Richter why the Loyalty of the village as a whole had gone up by +20 after he had completed Isabella’s quest.

Sion and Terrod had wandered in while Randolphus was talking, but hadn’t wanted to interrupt. Richter rose and embraced them both though, and they joined him at the table. At that point in Randolphus’s story, Terrod spoke up and told Richter that he had formed nine scout groups of five people each. He had chosen the party number based on the fact that anymore would decrease the amount experience gathered from fighting. No group was allowed far from the village by itself though. Terrod looked at Richter with a serious expression and described some of the dangerous animals and monsters that had been seen in and out of the mists. Mountain lions, cave bears, giant spiders and vampire bats were just a few of the predators that had started to be seen in the lands around the village.

Terrod told Richter that almost everyone who had had their magic awakened had agreed to serve. None of the children were allowed to join the scout groups of course, magic or no. As it was, the adult Air mages were too numerous to be in the scout groups all at once. Terrod’s solution was to cycle them out. Each was mostly in the groups for support, seeing as how they had almost no offensive spells. Terrod also told him that everyone in the militia trained for a portion of each day, whether they were scouting, guarding or fulfilling other duties.

Apparently, Isabella had been contributing as well. Terrod being kidnapped had snapped her out of the well of misery she had been in. He told Richter that the fear she experienced proved stronger than the emotional pain her sexual enslavement had caused. Randolphus had had to have her physically restrained to stop her from running after Terrod on her own after Richter left.

She had taken charge of the herb garden near the Quickening with a vengeance. In the last week, it had tripled in size. She had a natural ability with plants apparently and an advanced Herb Lore skill. She has also organized groups to scour the forest for useful plants. Terrod reported that Isabel was requesting that an herb shed be constructed. The building would apparently allow her to dry and treat harvested herbs, increasing their potency and longevity. Richter nodded to Randolphus who made a notation.

Basil, Zarr, and Sumiko filtered in. Richter greeted each in turn. Randolphus was about to start on the next item, but Richter asked about the ships anchored outside of the village.

“That actually ties into what we needed to discuss next, my Lord,” Randolphus said. “I will let Basil describe what transpired.”

“It was an… interesting trip, my Lord,” the man said. Then he told his story.

Outside of navigating a section of turbulent river, the trip back to Leaf’s Crossing had been uneventful for Richter’s emissary. The sailors had apparently been happy to be gone from the village. Though they had not been in any direct danger, they too had seen dangerous animals and monsters the closer they got to the mists.

The ship had eased into the harbor at Leaf’s Crossing and Basil had carried his precious cargo of Potions of Clarity amidst a few other boxes of trade goods. Basil recounted that the idea of having hundreds of pieces of gold hidden on his body while he also carried items worth hundreds more had stressed him out to no end. He knew that he had been any thief’s wet dream, and so he had paid ten tough looking sailors to accompany him while he was in Leaf’s Crossing. Basil had considered it a worthwhile expense to put the sailors up in the inn as well. With such a guard detail, Basil told him that he had arrived at the Whistling Hen with no difficulty. Basil gave a wide smile at that point, and thanked Richter profusely for recommending that particular inn. Richter smiled back knowingly, remembering exactly how friendly the women there could be.

Basil continued his story. Rosy, the proprietor of the inn, had told Basil that no one resembling the contact Richter had described had been to the bar. He then said that he planned to simply wait as long as necessary and in the meantime, spend the time relaxing and buying supplies. Rosy apparently had other ideas.

The tough woman had pulled Basil to the side almost immediately. Rosy had not forgotten the ships of nonhumans that had stopped in Leaf’s Crossing before sailing to a better life with Richter. Apparently neither had many of the townsfolk. Since Richter had left almost a month before, a long line of hopeful people of all races had formed. They all wanted to emigrate to the Mist Village. To be exact, another one hundred and sixty-three people wanted to join.

Richter looked at the man sharply, but let him continue. When Basil saw he wasn’t going to be interrupted, he explained that his initial feeling had been one of caution and alarm as well. Before he left for Leaf’s Crossing though, Richter had told him that Rosy could be trusted. In light of that, Basil agreed to at least speak to each of the potential immigrants. Rosy had helped him to coordinate the interviews.

Over the next several days, Basil had conducted interviews. To make the process easier, he had hired the services of two Professed Scholars. He apologized to Richter that their services hadn’t come cheap. Richter didn’t mind or care about a little overhead cost, but he was confused about what exactly a Scholar was. Seeing his Lord’s questioning expression, Basil explained that the two Scholars had various administrative Talents. Between the two of them, the men he had hired possessed the Talents of Association, Perfect Scribing, Still Image, Knowledge Tablet, Copying and most importantly Confidential.

Seeing that Richter looked even more confused and was also starting to look a bit annoyed, Basil quickly explained further. Association let the Scholar recognize patterns and then organize large amounts of data in the most efficient manner. The Perfect Scribing Talent was just as it sounded. The Scholar could write with perfect penmanship such that anyone who read his work would know exactly what he was trying to impart. Richter was about to ask why a Talent like that would matter, but then he remembered how a lot of doctors wrote. The chicken scratch that health professionals called handwriting was a travesty. Richter was convinced that people died in hospitals because of it. When you factored in that many people in The Land were illiterate, the few who could write most likely had a wide variability in how they formed their words. Being able to KNOW what someone had meant to say when you read it would actually be worth quite a bit.

Basil continued to explain that the Copying Talent let a scribe fully duplicate a letter or parchment in every detail. As long as they had enough parchment and ink, they could use their mana to immediately make another copy of what they had in front of them, down to the last ink blotch. Basil added that he had heard the Talent could be leveled to be able to copy scrolls, skill books or spell books, but that was beyond the abilities of the scribes in Leaf’s Crossing. Those advanced talents were also apparently prohibitively expensive.

Basil didn’t even try to explain the Still Image and Knowledge Tablet Talents, but instead just handed over a heavy piece of wood with a smile. The wood was about a two feet in height and width and one inch thick. It was sanded smooth and then lacquered brown except for a white circle in one corner. When Richter pressed the circle, a picture of a gruff looking gnome appeared in the corner of the wood and a list of information was written in the Common Tongue right next it.

Richter almost dropped the item in shock. He suddenly felt like he was looking at an iPad. He stared at the Knowledge Tablet in wonder. Once again, he had to remind himself to abandon his preconceptions. He often thought of the people in The Land as medieval yokels with their kings and swords, yet in his hand he held proof that his perception was at least not universally true. Through magic, these people had achieved a result that had taken thousands of years of Earth’s science to create.

Richter ran his hand over the wood and the picture and information changed. He realized he was holding the equivalent of a PowerPoint presentation that showed detailed information regarding each of the people Basil had interviewed.

“You have reviewed this I assume?” Richter asked Randolphus.

“I have, my Lord. The Knowledge Tablet is a valuable tool and the information gathered upon it was most informative.”

“Can you add more information to it?” he asked Basil.

“I cannot, but a Scholar with the Talent could.”

Richter nodded, still enthralled by what he was holding, “And what about the last Talent? Confidential?”

“That is what makes Scholars truly invaluable, my Lord. Every guild Scholar takes the Confidential Talent first. It makes it literally impossible for them to betray the confidence of their employer. Even in the face of torture, a Scholar cannot in any way violate the terms of their contract. So if you tell them to never reveal the information they have been given access to, the magic of their Profession ensures that your secrets remain safe.”

“Man!” Richter exclaimed. “I wish you could have brought one of those scholars back with you!”

Basil exhaled a loud sigh of relief, “I am so happy you feel that way, my Lord!”

Richter’s eyes narrowed a bit, suddenly feeling like the other shoe was about to drop, “Why? Why are you so relieved?”

“Ahhh, it might be best if I just finish telling you about what happened in Leaf’s Crossing, my Lord.”

Richter looked at him side eyed for a second, then just slowly said “Uh huh. Go ahead.”

“Ahem, yes, well, as I was saying…”

Basil talked about how he commandeered a table in the corner of the Whistling Hen over the next few days. Prospective villagers would come up singly or as a family and then he would interview them. One scribe would take down all of their info and the other would record their image and then compile all of the information on the Knowledge Tablet. Basil said that all of the people he had spoken to seemed to be honest and were simply looking for a better life. Most were nonhuman, but there were humans that just wanted a change. One thing that had surprised Basil was that not all of them were from Leaf’s Crossing. Richter’s name was now becoming known.

Richter wasn’t sure how he felt about that. The more attention he brought on himself and the Mist Village, the more vulnerable they were in certain ways. He supposed it was also an opportunity, though. He did want things to be built faster after all, and an influx of villagers could mean a boost to productivity. It was also inevitable, he realized. The villagers who had chosen to come with Richter from Law had left behind friends and family. Those friends and family would have spread the story of a safe haven for nonhumans that existed in Forest of Nadria. Basil told him that this was in fact how many of the people he interviewed had heard about the village. Many in fact had had friends and relatives among the already existing mist villagers. The people Basil interviewed had come from towns neighboring Leaf’s Crossing, and more than a few had walked from Law.

Richter interjected, “So while you were doing these interviews, the authorities had no problem with having so many nonhumans congregating in and around the inn? Especially considering why they were there?”

Basil’s lips twisted in irritated remembrance, “My Lord is most astute. In fact, the authorities did come to the inn the second day. A group of five guards wearing Yves livery walked right up to me. I thought I was going to be arrested or beaten at the very least. Then Rosy came up and told the lead guard I was there on your behalf. After that he smiled at me, and I remember this part quite clearly my Lord! He said, ‘I’m sure you didn’t mean to flout the King’s laws now did you?’”

Richter laughed out loud, having a strong idea of where this story was heading, “And you said that you would never do something like that, right?”

“Of course, my Lord! Well then the irritating man told me that I had to have the proper permit to conduct interviews like I was doing. Then he told me that he just so happened to have a cousin that could issue the proper documents, and he would be MORE than happy to take the money for permits to him. THEN he added that OF COURSE, there were also the penalties for late registration, the surcharge for expedited processing, the mandatory overtime for his guards to monitor a sanctioned interview, the new tax on…”

Richter waved for the irritated trader to stop talking, as his own laughter was threatening to drown Basil out anyway, “The guard’s name wasn’t Caulder, was it?”

“You know the rogue, my Lord?!”

Richter smiled and just asked, “How much did he shake you down for?”

Basil’s expression looked like the man had just swished with vinegar, but he ultimately said, “Seven gold and four silver, my Lord.”

The somewhat steep price helped Richter get his chuckling under control. He wasn’t too bothered though and said, “Just the cost of doing business Basil, now tell the rest of your story.”

“Yes, my Lord. Well, the annoying smiling man got the money for his quote unquote ‘permits’ and then I got back to the interviews. On the afternoon of my third day there, a tall muscular man wearing loose fitting clothing came up to the table. I recognized him by your description of Hafiz’s emissary and he knew that strange passcode you told me.”

Excitedly, Richter asked, “What did he say?”

“He said ‘Rick,’ my Lord.”

Even more excited, Richter asked, “And what did you say in response?”

“‘Morty,’ my Lord!”

“YES!” Richter shouted happily. “Wubbalubbadubdub!”

Everyone around the table stared at him. He waved them off, “Meh, you guys wouldn’t get it. Trust me though, I’m awesome. Continue with your story, Basil.”

Basil coughed, totally confused, “Uhhh, yes, my Lord. Well the emissary from Hafiz was with four other men who were obviously his brothers. I paused the interviews and retired back to a secure room Rosy had prepared for the meeting. The men Hafiz had sent were actually his sons and I am happy to report that they acted honorably. I am even more delighted to tell you that the price was even better than expected. The nobles of Yves are apparently very interested in increasing the level of their warriors. Each vial sold for three gold, one silver and seven coppers!”

Richter started doing some fast math in his head, “So for the two hundred Potions of Clarity I gave you…”

“We made six hundred and thirty-four gold, my Lord!”

Richter gave a whoop and stood up with his hand raised. Basil looked at him and then looked at the hand as if he was unsure if Richter was about to strike him. Richter laughed and pulled the man to his feet. Then he had Basil extend his arm with his hand flat. Richter gave him a resounding high five and said, “Fuck yeah, man! Make that cheddar!”

Basil sat back down with an amused smile, apparently liking the show of exuberance, “Errr, fuk yah indeed, my Lord! I did not buy any cheese, however.”

Richter laughed again and told him, “That’s okay. So what happened with all the people you interviewed? Are they waiting in Leaf’s Crossing for my decision?”

Basil opened his mouth and then closed it again before speaking, “Well, my Lord. That is an interesting part of the story.”

Here comes the other shoe, Richter thought.

“Well after the initial trade with Hafiz’s sons, I also gave them the list of items we needed that I had not been able to find in Leaf’s Crossing. They told me their father was eager to continue the trade relationship. They had even anticipated some of our requests and had brought food and livestock to sell. They were also quite clear that their father, Hafiz, would take more Potions of Clarity as quickly as possible, but there was a complication. They had sailed to Leaf’s Crossing from Yves, but before they had left, there were rumors that a Count that was close to the King had noticed that some nonhumans were attempting to escape the Kingdom. They had also heard that a military force was going to be sent to curtail this. They didn’t know if the soldiers would come overland or by boat, but they had recommended Basil leave as soon as possible.

“So you see, my Lord, I had a dilemma.”

Richter looked back at him, “I’m guessing the solution to that dilemma has something to do with those ships in the harbor?”

Basil let out a heavy sigh, “Yes, my Lord. You empowered me to make decisions on behalf of the village. I know that we need more people, so I just asked myself what you would do. I could have left them all there to the mercies of the Yves military, but I decided to bring them with me.”

“So the, I guess we will call them refugees, are all on the ships?”

The rest of the people Richter had sent Futen to fetch had joined the table while Basil was talking. Futen now floated in the center of the table casting his light on everyone. Roswan, the elf who led the building crew, spoke up, “Well, we were already making a second longhouse. When the ships showed up, I had all the other projects stopped so we could finish it faster. Most of them are in the second longhouse now. Some are still on the ships.”

“That was good work, Roswan,” Richter said nodding in appreciation.

Grrrmmm was the only response Richter got from the mustached elf.

“We also unloaded the supplies and animals that Hafiz’s sons brought with them,” Basil said. “I paid them a fair price for all of it. They agreed to wait for you to return before leaving because they would like to meet with you, my Lord.”

Richter looked at Basil for a long moment, but ultimately nodded, “I agree with your decision and you’re right, I do need more people. Let’s just not make a habit of increasing the population of the village by more than 50% in one day, okay?”

Basil gave a relieved laugh, “I will restrain myself in the future, my Lord.”

“So we have another one hundred and sixty-three new villagers?” Richter asked.

Basil opened and closed his mouth again. Richter nailed him to his seat with this gaze, wondering what was coming next.

“Well, my Lord. While I was doing the interviews, a few more people came to town as well,” Basil said innocently.

“How many more?” Richter asked impatiently.

“Just eighty-two, my Lord.”

“Just EIGHTY-TWO?!”

“Plus, the two scribes.”

“The scribes agreed to come?” Richter asked somewhat surprised. It sounded like they were already doing okay in Leaf’s Crossing. He knew Basil had thrown that in to soften the shock of an extra eighty-two people he hadn’t told Richter about yet, but it did sound like the scribes would be quite a boon to the village.

“Wellll, I did have to pay off their debt to their guild, The White Quill.”

“Debt!” Richter said his voice rising. “What debt?” He was getting actually irritated now. Basil’s story seemed to be yo-yoing between great news and expensive realizations. Richter would have much preferred to just eat all of his veggies at once then focus on the pudding. Nobody wanted to eat spinach after they had had chocolate cake! Alma had been resting on the table in front of him, but she rose up on her haunches at feeling her master’s consternation. The dragonling stared at Basil who regarded her warily.

“Wellll, for their training, they had to follow their guild’s orders until they paid back a certain amount. I can promise you though, my Lord, that you can’t put a price on their kind of expertise!” Basil assured him.

“Well you better PUT a fucking price on it,” Richter said rising from his chair. “How much?” he asked again, definitely louder this time. “And I hope you didn’t agree to pay all of these new villagers the same wage that I agreed to pay our current villagers. I’m not made of money you know?!” Alma’s wings unfurled and she hissed at Basil, who was definitely starting to look a bit fearful. Richter kept his hand on her back so she didn’t actually attack the man.

Randolphus came to the beleaguered trader’s aid. That was good, because everyone else around the table was just looking at Basil with expressions that said, ‘Sucks to be you man!’

“I promise you the scribes were well worth the initial price, my Lord,” the chamberlain stated. “They also agreed to provide their services as much as we needed for only six silvers per month. As for everyone else that was brought back with Basil, they are here to work for their keep. They understand that no payment has been promised to them. I have a detailed list of all expenditures for your perusal, my Lord, if you would like to view it later.”

Richter looked back and forth between Basil and Randolphus. He knew he was being managed, but he also knew his inner ‘thriftiness’ had reared its ugly head for a second. He took his seat again and said in a measured voice, “So we have two hundred and forty-five new villagers plus two scribes. You also had to pay a ‘reasonable’ amount for the scribes to come. Is, there, anything, else?” Richter stared intensely at Basil.

“Wellll…”

“Spit it out Basil!”

“Yes, my Lord! Caulder told me that since the new King took power in Yves, the guard’s salaries had only been paid sporadically. When he saw that I was willing to pay off the scribes’ debts, he approached me saying that he was willing to relocate for the right price. Other guards were as well. Ultimately, eighteen guards offered to come. I believed we could use the extra help and defense.”

“So another eighteen people?” Richter asked. “And if you say ‘wellll’ one more fucking time, I WILL let Alma attack you.”

Basil’s mouth snapped shut to keep himself from doing just that. He stared at the dragonling whose tail was swishing back and forth as she stared back at him. “Yes, my Lord. Several of the guards had small families that have agreed to come. I also bought the food and animals from Leaf’s Crossing.”

“How many food and animals?”

“Everything I could buy within a day, my Lord.”

Well, between the people and the livestock, that easily explained the extra ships, Richter thought. Basil would have needed more transport capacity. “The extra guards I agree with. Defense is definitely a priority.” He looked at Randolphus, “How much am I paying everyone per month now?”

Randolphus had the answer prepared, “The original compliment of the village was two hundred and ninety yourself included. Of that number seventy-three were children, sixteen were elders too old to contribute and another eighteen men and women did not actively work for various reasons. That left one hundred and eighty-one workers. Twenty-one villagers were lost in the bugbear attack, eighteen of which were workers, and another was killed when you saved the patrol. That leaves one hundred and sixty-two villagers earning a wage. At four silvers per fortnight, that amounted to one hundred and twenty-nine gold and six silver each month. Of the nineteen workers who died, twelve left behind families. As you instructed, their full year’s wages were paid in a lump sum to their loved ones. That amounted to one hundred and five gold and six silver. I am assuming you wish for a lump sum to be paid to Barden’s family as well?” Richter nodded and the chamberlain made a notation.

Randolphus consulted another page and then continued, “With this new influx of people, the scribes will cost twelve silvers per month. The guards agreed to work for four silvers per month and ten had wives or husbands that are also willing to work. If you decide to extend the same terms to the new villagers, which are comprised of one hundred and seventy-eight workers, the final tally would be two hundred and ninety-six gold and eight silver per month.”

Richter’s head started to hurt while his chamberlain was talking and by the end, he was rubbing his hands against both temples. That mean that his expenses each year, just for wages, was about 3,562 gold pieces, or to put it another way, 356,200 bucks! Richter felt a scream building inside of him! All he wanted to do was to become the Lord and Master of a fledgling country with no infrastructure or industry to speak of! Why did that have to be so expensive?!? All he could think to say was, “Do we have enough food?”

Randolphus nodded, “With the new stores that Basil bought, we can feed our entire populace for six months without needing to slaughter our livestock. With what the hunters bring in, that number could be stretched to nine months. Since the crops have been replanted after the attack, they are growing faster than expected. Some of the Air mages have been able to help with that by supplying the perfect amount of rain. If we allocate enough villagers to be farmers, the village should have more than enough food to last through the winter.”

Richter put his hand down on the table and started stroking Alma’s scales. “I am okay with all of this. In the future though Basil, Randolphus is going to lay down some strict guidelines for what you are and are NOT authorized to do. Understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Randolphus said.

“Yes, my Lord,” Basil said.

“Okay then. What else do I need to know?”

“Well, I want to know what happened to you after you left on the okami!” Sion shouted.

“I heard what you did on my behalf, my friend,” Richter said with a smile. “Thank you. That reminds me though, I think this belongs to you.” Richter handed back the Bracelet of Health which Sion took graciously. Then Richter gave everyone an abbreviated version of the events since chasing after Terrod. They cheered after hearing of his victory over Sonirae and Orvin. Sion exclaimed in understanding when he heard that it had been a rock giant that had chased him through the forest afterwards. Everyone got quiet when they heard how he had been trapped in the kobold’s warren. They all knew full well how dangerous those creatures were on their home turf. The kobolds penchant for deadly traps was famous. More cheers went around when he told everyone how he had led the kobolds into a trap of his own, however. Sumiko smiled at hearing how Richter praised her people.

Richter’s mood turned sober as he discussed the fight to save the patrol from the bugbears. He turned to Terrod, “I am extremely grateful for how you have organized our people. I believe they need stricter guidelines and discipline. I can do this myself, but I heard one of the patrol call you ‘captain.’ Is that a role you’re comfortable taking on? Will you assume responsibility for the safety of our people?”

Terrod looked at Richter gravely and didn’t speak for long moments. Then he got up and walked over to his Companion who stood to meet him. Once he was standing in front of Richter, he bent the knee. “I had planned to do this later, but now is just as good. You have stood by me and have saved my precious Isabel twice, once from Count Stonuk and once from her own hand. I am with you, my Lord. I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord Richter. From now, unto my very death, I will protect you and your interests, to the best of my ability and without deceit.”

Richter reached out his hand and rested it upon his Companion’s shoulder. “I accept your oath of fealty, and swear to honor your pledge with the same gravity in which it was given.” As he helped Terrod to his feet, a prompt filled his vision.

Congratulations! You have uncovered another Job of your Village. You have filled the position of: Captain of the Guard. Your village will benefit proportionally to the skill of whomever you have chosen. Your Companion Terrod is granted the skill, War Leader. His highest martial skill is still the rank of: Novice. The attack and defense of all villagers within the boundaries of the village is 3% more effective. Your choice has a special ability: Comradery. This ability will make your choice highly effective in training and motivating your people. Attack and defense bonus increased by another 5% to a total of 8%.

Richter looked around at the table of villager leaders and said, “Everyone welcome the new Captain of the Guard!”

The entire table got to its feet and clapped for Terrod. As he walked back to his seat, Krom slapped him on the back. Terrod stumbled but chuckled as he retook his seat. With that over, Richter felt better about the entire affair of saving the patrol. He had no doubt, Terrod would be instilling some serious discipline into his people ASAP!

Sion leaned forward and got the discussion back on track, “One thing I don’t understand is how the Assassin fooled your Analyze skill? Or Zarr’s spell?”

“I still don’t know,” Richter said with some bitterness as he remembered what the woman had taken from him. Zarr hung his head in shame. The dwarf spoke up and began to apologize profusely. Richter didn’t blame him for what had happened though, and expressed that. Too much had occurred since, and what they needed now were answers, not recriminations.

“I believe I can answer that,” Basil said. “I have heard that Professed Rogues can have a Hidden Identity Talent. It hides their true name and information from skills like Analyze.”

“Did you know about this?” Richter asked Randolphus.

The chamberlain took a moment before answering, “I have heard of this Talent, my Lord. If your Analysis skill were higher, you might have pierced her protection depending on how heavily the Assassin had invested in the Talent.”

“Then how can we know that there aren’t more killers in the group that just came in?” Richter asked in consternation.

“For every problem, there is a solution, Master Richter,” Sumiko said. “At your chamberlain’s request, I have spent the last several days interviewing everyone that has come on the ships and everyone already here. With each, I cast Soul’s Window. It is an adept level spell that allows me to discover nearly any subterfuge. While it is not foolproof, it would take much more than a rogue’s Talent to defeat it. As far as I could tell, everyone here has come for honest reasons.”

“Maybe we should have you do the same thing with all of the existing villagers, Sumiko,” Sion said.

Richter nodded, “I don’t want our people to feel like I don’t trust them, but maybe if we explain that this is being done for the safety of the village as a whole, they would be okay with it. Sumiko are you willing to help?”

“Of course, Lord Richter. I would still need to know which questions to ask, however. The spell makes people answer honestly any question posed and also lets me sense any ill intent, but the more concise the questions the better.”

“I can help with forming those questions, my Lord,” Randolphus said. “I have already worked with Lady Sumiko in the first round of interviews.”

“Very good then,” Richter said. “To be clear, everyone at this table will be included as well. In fact, we will go first as an example to the other villagers. I trust no one has a problem with that?” A round of agreements circled the table though not everyone looked happy.

Richter took that with a grain of salt, but he did feel a bit better. “Okay then, I think we are all up to speed about what has happened. Now I need to tell you what is about to happen.”

He addressed Shivona first and made clear that he needed the ship completed as soon as possible, but that he also needed it to have offensive and defensive capabilities. She tried to flirt like she had in the past, but Richter held up his hand to stop her. The recent events in his life had shown him the importance of a proactive defense. His primary goal was to make the village both safe and prosperous and he wouldn’t allow anything to distract from that, including getting involved with any of his villagers in the near future. He communicated that clearly with a few sentences. She nodded with a serious expression, and just told Richter that she would need more jewels, materials and smiths to make mountable weapons for the boat. Richter told Randolphus to allocate what she needed and Krom to start making what she requested, then he asked her to get back to work. The ship builder left the room.

Next, he spoke to Sumiko, “I have advanced in my Life magic skill. I know I have much farther I have to go before I reach your level, but are there any more spells that you can teach me?”

“That I can do,” she said with a smile. “It will cost you, however. I have spent time in the human lands, and I know how much spells sell for. As you are the ally of the Wood Sprites, I will only charge you half. What level are you exactly now and what spells do you already know?”

Richter checked his status page quickly and told her his spells and that he was level seven.

“I know three other spells I can teach you. Two are level six and will cost you three gold each. The third is level four and will cost you two gold.”

“What the hell?” he exclaimed in surprise. “I thought all you sprites were just about peace and harmony.”

She smiled wolfishly, “Like I said, I have lived among humans. I must have been corrupted. Besides, I have the feeling that trade is about to come to the Forest and having hard currency will most likely be useful.”

Richter grumbled, but took the money from his Bag. Another $800 dollars gone in a blink. If that was the family deal, then he wasn’t surprised that teaching his people magic for free had been such a shock. Most people only earned the equivalent of eighty dollars per month if they were lucky. Richter had given them the equivalent of a year’s wages when he awakened their power and taught them spells. “I definitely see the relation between you and Fumiko now. She says hello by the way and to tell you that she is doing well.”

Sumiko smiled at the mention of her sister, “That’s nice. Do you wish to know what the spells are first?”

He shook his head, “Knowledge is power. I’ll take them.”

The older sprite took the coins, then made a show of counting them with a wink before making them disappear into her robes. Then she placed one hand on Richter’s head and another on his heart. His breath sucked in, his pupils widened and he KNEW!

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Banish Undead! If successful, you will dissipate the energy allowing a Death creature to exist in this plane. This is a spell of Life. Cost: 40 mana. Duration: instant. Range: 40 feet. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Minor Stabilize! If a target is stricken with a ‘Bleeding’ status, this spell will decrease the rate of bleeding and total bleeding time. Effects will vary based on extent of the injuries. This is a spell of Life. Cost: 27 mana. Duration: instant. Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Life Bolt! Fire a bolt of concentrated Life energy. Damage 5-10. Increased damage against Death Creatures. This is a spell of Life. Cost: 22 mana. Duration: instant. Range: 30 feet. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Richter smiled. It was good to finally have another offensive spell. It wasn’t the strongest, but if he ran up against any more fades he was sure it would come in handy. He walked over to where Zarr and Quasea were sitting. “I don’t suppose ya’ll would give me a discount too?”

Quasea stood and faced him. Then she patted him on the cheek, and said, “You’re so pretty.”

Richter rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Okay. I’m level six in Earth magic and level eight in Dark magic. What do you have for me?”

Zarr knew two spells that fit Richter’s spell level and Quasea knew another three. Eighteen gold pieces later, Richter had his new spells.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Summon Saproling! Summons a level five forest creature to do your bidding. You can only have one summoned creature at a time. This is a spell of Earth. Cost: 39 mana. Duration: Five minutes. Range: Five feet. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Acid sphere. Creates a ball of acid that can be thrown at your target. Damage 4-6 per second. This is a spell of Earth. Cost: 22 mana. Duration 10 seconds. Range: Throwing range of caster. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: N/A.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Flood of Darkness. Blankets an area 25 yards around you in darkness. Effect banished by direct sunlight. Blocks out all light based sight. This is a spell of Dark. Cost: 46 mana. Duration: 1 minute. Range: self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 45 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Dark Bolts. Fires a bolt of concentrated Dark energy at your target. For every three skill levels the caster has in Dark magic, the spell will fire another bolt (Max 10). Damage 7-9. This is a spell of Dark. Cost: 31 mana. Duration: instant. Range: 40 feet. Cast Time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Darkvision. Provides Darkvision for 25 yards. This is a spell of Dark. Cost: 43 mana. Duration: 20 minutes. Range: Self. Cast Time: 1 second. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Richter couldn’t wait to try his new spells, but there was still work to be done. He walked back to the head of the table. This was the time for the announcement that he knew some people might have a problem with. “Everyone in the village is about to be given a choice. To swear fealty or not.” Quasea and Zarr both opened their mouths, but he held up a hand to forestall them. “Any who do not wish to do so will be able to live here for the rest of their year. They will receive the same treatment as before, and the same pay. At the end of that year, we will reevaluate their place in the village. I am going to repeat this to the entire village, but I want to make clear that no punitive measures will be taken against those who do not wish to bend the knee. I also want to make clear however, that only those who swear fealty will be able to take advantage of the special benefits of living here. Namely weapons and armor from the Forge of Heavens, fruit from the Quickening, my ability to waken dormant power and any other special resources that may become available.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Zarr broke the stillness, “What would you want in return?” the dwarf mage asked.

“You will follow my commands and the commands of those I appoint to carry out my will. For my advanced magic users, I have asked you to teach others the ways of your magic, but now it will be a formal task. I plan to build a school. The two of you will be teachers. You will be required to pass on for free your weakest spell to anyone with the aptitude, so that people can practice and build their skill level. Any further spells you wish to impart, I will leave to you to sell or teach as you wish, but 20% of the cost will be paid to the village coffers. Lastly, and this applies to everyone, you will fight to protect this village and its people if necessary.”

Silence reigned in across the table, until Quasea spoke, “Can we have some time to think about it?”

Richter nodded, “Of course. The same terms apply to everyone at this table barring Sion and Sumiko who are our allies and guests. You may take all the time you need. I plan to make the Mist Village into a force of positive change in The Land. I am not naïve enough to believe that my goals can be accomplished without power however, so I plan to do what is necessary to get it. I make you all the same promise I will make to the villagers, anyone that bends the knee before me, will then rise in power as I do.”

With that short speech done, Richter took his seat at the head of the table. He looked out at the men and women before him. Mages, fighters, builders and Companions, they were all people of worth and power. Each was different, but they had one thing in common. They all waited silently and expectantly for his next words.