The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2)

CHAPTER 12

He slept like the dead. It was impossible to tell time inside of the catacombs, but it felt like he had slept for a while. A quick check showed that Alma had left while he was sleeping. The first thing he did once he got up was to look for Hisako. She wasn’t in her room or in any of the other rooms off of the Great Seal. He paused once to enter the armory and unload the gear he had picked up yesterday. Though the Bag of Holding decreased weight by 90%, it still felt nice to relieve himself of all the extra kilos.

He was walking down the tunnel to check on his people when he ran into Randolphus.

“Greetings, my Lord.”

“Hello Randy. I trust nothing else horrible happened while I was sleeping?”

“Thankfully not, my Lord. But I do have some slightly unpleasant news.”

Richter gave a sigh and nodded, “Walk with me. You can tell me on the way to the Quickening.”

Randolphus fell in step behind Richter, “The first thing you should know is that we lost twenty-one villagers in the attack. Seven sprites were also killed.”

Richter stopped walking and closed his eyes. He knew it was more than a few, but hearing how many had died made his heart drop. He opened his eyes and looked at his chamberlain, “I assume you have a list of dead?”

Randolphus handed him a sheaf of paper. It had names, race and age. Richter resolved to memorize each and every name. He scanned it quickly and was about to put it away for later when the last entry caught his attention. Petal, Human, Age 6. Richter had to resist crumpling the paper in his hand, but he still shook with rage. Randolphus showed supreme wisdom and experience by not disturbing him over the next few minutes. It took some time, but Richter composed himself, carefully rolling the paper up and put it in his Bag. Those bastards were going to pay!

“Thank you for preparing this, Randy. What else do I need to know?”

“Unfortunately, my Lord, the invaders attacked from the direction of the farmland. Most of the fields were ruined by them. The farmers still have seed, but they worry that by the time they till the earth again and go through the process of planting, it might be too late for certain crops. If that is true, then we would need to buy additional supplies to last us through the winter.”

Richter nodded, which Randy took as an indication to continue. “We have collected our dead and have taken them to the meadow north of the village. I thought that would be the proper place to bury them. They could overlook the village they had died for through eternity.” Richter nodded again. He mentioned a thought he had had regarding a memorial, which Randy said he would look into.

“What else, Randy?”

“The Mist Workers have gathered the bodies of the dead invaders. A large pit has been dug outside of the city walls. Lady Sumiko has been blessing them as they are brought over. I detailed some of the more stoic villagers to strip the bodies of anything useful. We will bring the weapons to the armory, and I will arrange for any other items to be brought to my office for cataloging. I will have Futen identify any unknown objects and make you a list, if that is alright with you, my Lord?”

“Of course, it is Randy.” They had walked outside, and enjoyed the view of the setting sun. Standing at the top of the slope leading to the catacombs the village looked like such an idyllic setting. It was hard to believe it had been the site of a potential slaughter just yesterday. The scene helped to calm his still raw nerves. Then he caught sight of the charred remains of the longhouse and anger once again ruled his heart. He started walking and motioned for Randolphus to continue.

“We still have a large number of logs prepared that were going to be used for other buildings. I am working on choosing another sight for the longhouse, and will organize crews to take away the wreckage of the previous one. Housing will be given the utmost priority.”

“No,” Richter said a touch sharply. He looked at Randolphus while they walked. “Priority must be given to building the smithy. I also want you to take Yoshi and our most accomplished smiths to the armory.” Several doors in the first floor of the catacombs had required Richter to show his Mark which declared him Master of the Mist Village before they would open. He had discovered upon returning to the village from Yves, that he could give privileges to anyone he chose to open the doors at will. He had given Sion, Terrod and Randolphus access to most of them. He was still the only one that could open the treasury though. Even though it was mostly empty, it held most of the wealth of the village. “I also want to see the smiths tonight. After I meet with Hisako, I want you to find them and bring them to me. The same goes for any of our crafters, casters and hunters. Find out if anyone has experience with potion making and bring them as well. We also need to decide who we can send on our trade trip back to Yves. I need someone with high Charisma and preferably a good level in the Trade skill. Make sure they are smart as well though. I don’t need an ample chest and an empty head! I have a feeling these trade trips are going to be very important to all of us. I will also need a detailed list of the skills and abilities of everyone in the village.”

Randolphus opened his mouth to reply, but Richter cut him off. “Yes, yes, I know. You tried to show me that before, and I shut you down. I’ll do better to listen to you, but we all need to be stronger. Even the weakest of the bugbears would have been a match for almost any of our villagers in terms of training, weapons and armor. If it wasn’t for the sprites we would not have survived the night. That can’t be allowed to happen again!”

Randolphus nodded solemnly. He didn’t write down anything that Richter had said this time, but there was no doubt that everything would be taken care of. If there was a skill for government administration, Randy would be a master. “What else?” Richter asked.

Their conversation meandered while they walked. There seemed to be a never-ending list of things to deal with. Richter was once again convinced that Randolphus just might be the most useful member of the village. The chamberlain stopped speaking as they ascended the hill to the meadow of the Quickening. Walking across the field, Richter saw several sprites along the outskirts of the tree. He knew Hisako must be beneath its boughs. “Thank you Randy, is there anything else?”

Randolphus firmed his lips while he looked at Richter. The man looked uncertain, which concerned Richter. As far as he could remember, the chamberlain had never seemed anything but confident and competent. Richter realized that the past day must have weighed on Randolphus as well. He softened his expression and asked, “What do you need to say, Randolphus?”

“May I speak freely, my Lord?”

Richter nodded.

“It may not be my place, but I heard your confession this morning, and I witnessed the forgiveness the elders gave you.” He sighed deeply before continuing, “I know you let the attack weigh heavily on you. What I need to say is that it should have. More, you should have considered the gravity of the attack, BEFORE you cast your spell. Because you were impatient, several of your people died. Some of them children. Now I don’t know if we could have avoided the attack if the enchantment had stayed in place, but we would have had a better chance. You failed your people yesterday.”

Richter just stood with his jaw tight. Hearing this was like rubbing salt on his emotional wounds. Randolphus wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true, however. So he nodded, and waited for the man to continue.

Randolphus stared at his Lord, seeing that his words were having an effect. He continued, “I have served men of power for several decades, and seen countless more in my position at court. Some of them have been strong and some have been weak. Some have been wise, but far too many were foolish. One thing was true of all of them, however. They all made mistakes.” Randolphus voice softened somewhat while Richter stood listening with unshed tears. “What matters is what happens afterwards. You are not hiding from your errors, but instead are letting them inspire you to be better. What I have said was all true, my Lord. It is also true however, that I am proud to serve a man who values the lives of his subjects. I believe you to be a man of honor.” Randolphus bowed his head, “I am in turn, honored to be your chamberlain.”

A small bit of the tension and guilt Richter had been feeling alleviated. It wasn’t much of a change, but it was noticeable. He put his hand on Randolphus’s shoulder, “Thank you for your words. I know that I could not do this without you. Please do not ever hesitate to share your thoughts or your counsel with me… especially if you think I am making a huge mistake.” Richter wanted to lighten the mood with a faint smile, but couldn’t draw one to his face.

Randolphus looked relieved that his words had been received well. When he spoke his next words, he was once again the epitome of propriety. “Of course, my Lord. I will take your leave now and put in motion what we have discussed. I will bring everyone you asked for to the Great Seal.”

The chamberlain turned and left, and Richter walked under the canopy of the Quickening. He soon saw Hisako and several of the other sprites. She had cast globe of light spells in response to the setting sun. Once again the silver undersides of the leaves shone with the golden white light of her spell. As he got closer, he saw a look of wonder on her face. The expression was mirrored on the faces of the other sprites. They were all looking at the six-inch tall figure flitting around in the air above their heads. When Elora saw him, she crossed the ten yards separating them in the blink of an eye.

She stopped and hovered a few feet in front of his face, and then curtseyed while hovering in midair. She had somehow turned one of the leaves of the Quickening into a flowing dress. The outside was soft white, but as she moved around he caught flashes of silver from the inner hem.

“Well met, my Lord Richter.” The melodious notes of her voice stilled some of the agitation within him, and the formal greeting from such a small creature brought a faint smile to his face. He decided to mirror her tone so that she wouldn’t be embarrassed.

“Greetings, Queen Elora, but please just call me Richter.”

“I’m sorry, I forgot. Thank you… Richter.” Elora gave a small giggle at her boldness and then swiftly zipped back to hover above Hisako.

Richter walked over to the Hearth Mother and knelt down so they were eye to eye. “Thank you for your help, Hearth Mother. If it wasn’t for you and your warriors, I am sure we all would have been killed.” His voice broke a bit, “Again, I am so sorry for the loss of your people.”

She looked at him with a serene expression, “Thank you, Richter. I know well the pain and guilt you must be feeling because I have felt it myself too many times. All I can tell you is that over time the pain will lessen. What do you plan to do now?”

“I need to be stronger. So does my village. I plan on clearing a dungeon, and unlocking another one of my powers. I will leave as soon as I know my village is safe. Before anything else though, I offer my time and my strength to you. You may ask for anything. I will never be able to repay the debt I owe you.”

“Shush,” she lightly admonished. “You are the Master of a Place of Power. You should have learned by now, the danger of idle words. I asked you to take up arms against the bugbears. We are allies against a common enemy. It was always an unfortunate reality that some of us would die. Do not apologize again, just continue to stand and fight with us.”

“That I can promise you,” Richter said with some steel in his voice.

“Good,” she said, matching him in intensity. “I have information for you. When my people were sweeping the area around your village, we found one bugbear that had been hiding. He was captured and questioned. I know why you were attacked. As my people have been looking for the main bugbear encampment, it appears that they have been looking for us as well. Apparently they had greater success. We were followed by one of their scouts after leaving the Hearth Tree. He trailed us to the boundaries of your domain. Because of the mists, it could follow no further. The scout retreated, found reinforcements, and then returned to the edge of your defensive enchantment. They were waiting for the express purpose of laying an ambush once we exited the mists again. Then, two things happened.”

Hisako held up a finger, “The first was that the Quickening was planted and it sent the beam of green light into the air. It was as good as a beacon giving them a fairly specific direction to move in.” Richter nodded, as this had been what he had already surmised. “The second was the drop in the village’s enchantment. With the disappearance of the mists, they moved forward in a broad line and found the village after only a few hours. At that point, it was the simple matter of creating a makeshift bridge to span the trench around your village. The only thing that saved us was that they sent a scouting force into the village first as opposed to sending their entire force at once. Bugbears are adept at stealth, so under the cover of night it is not surprising that they made it by whatever guards you had posted, and then killed them before they could raise an alarm. One of your villagers must have seen them however, and raised the alarm. It made them attack prematurely and you know the rest.”

“The point is Richter, we all share the blame for this attack. This is a war. And though you are only now just joining it, this is a war that has been raging for millennia on countless fronts. You do not owe me anything. I only ask that you do what you have already resolved to do. Grow stronger, follow your conscience, and oppose evil as you come across it.”

The perspective he gained from Hisako’s recounting gave him some peace. He turned to Yoshi, “Where is the bugbear?”

The sword adept pointed down the hill and past the village wall, “Waiting to be put in the pit. I had to asking some of my questions… forcefully.”

There was no ambiguity to that. Richter could not muster any criticism of Yoshi’s tactics. He and Sion had done the same to a goblin in the past. Even if he hadn’t, the invaders put themselves in harm’s way when they attacked. They got what was coming to them.

“Understood,” Richter said. “Well you know my plans,” he said speaking to Hisako, “What are yours?”

“I will stay here for a time if that is alright with you. I wish to spend more time with Elora. She will bond to the tree soon, and I will want to be there for that. Besides, Yoshi doesn’t want me leaving the protection of the village until there are more guards to escort me back.”

“I trust that is not an issue?” Yoshi asked. Of course, he wasn’t really asking.

“No. You are all welcome here for as long as you wish,” Richter said. “I need to go take care of certain matters.”

Before he could walk away, though, Yoshi stepped in front of him. “You are overdue for a sword lesson. You skipped the lesson yesterday completely.”

“We were attacked! I got enough practice!” Richter’s voice rose a bit.

“I’ll be the judge of what constitutes practice,” the adept said. “Tonight, practice will resemble… our very first lesson.”

Richter’s eyes widened and all of the fire went out of him, “Th-the first lesson?” His voice rose again, but this time in a most undignified manner.

“Yes, Lord Richter,” a thick and quite hard looking length of wood had appeared in Yoshi’s hand.

“Yes, well… as I said, I do have quite a few duties to attend to, and people to speak to.”

“They will wait,” the sword adept said advancing.

Richter looked to Hisako for help, but she seemed to be finding something completely engrossing in the exact opposite direction he was standing in. Yup, this time he was sure she was smiling!

When Richter looked back, Yoshi’s face was only inches away from his own. The half-sprite lowered his voice and said softly, “Why don’t we get started?” A toothy grin was on his face, and a manic gleam had made its way into his eyes.

Richter said the only thing that came to mind, “Derrrrrrr…”