Chapter 71: The Amulet A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 71
Tarvon turned the amulet in his hands. "The spell scroll analyzed the runes and told me the purpose of this device. It is a Dreamscape Amulet. I do not think you will need your oblivion pills with this," he grinned at me.
The dreamscape amulet sounded pretty remarkable. I asked, "So, what does the amulet do then? Or do I need to pay more gold to find out?" I asked jokingly.
The halfling grunted at my attempt at humor, "They are exceptionally rare for starters, only found in dungeons. There is some variance on how they function but not much."
"And they are valuable?" I piped in.
"And they are valuable," he confirmed. "From what I remember from my readings, you wear it against the flesh and channel aether into it, and it pushes you into a dream state. This artifact creates a dream-world environment where you can do anything you want. It allows you to fight, practice skills, and train your mind while you sleep. And you get a full night's rest as well." He handed it back to me, "I can order you a book from the Adventurer's Guild on how to use the artifact?" he offered. "It will detail how best to make use of the artifact."
"No," I replied. "And, just to confirm, you will not tell anyone I have this?"
"The item reading is completely confidential," Tarvon confirmed. "My reputation is at stake." I nodded and figured it would be less so if Tarvon suddenly ordered a book on the specific artifact.
"Is the dream different than a normal dream? How do you wake up from it?" I asked as I slid the amulet under my chest armor and into my dimensional space.
The halfling shook his head. "I have told all I can discern from the scroll and my memory. If you want to sell, I can connect with buyers outside the Telhian Empire. You will get twice as much as if you sold it here in the capital to the Telhians." His tone was neutral, but his offer indicated he did not like the Telhians.
"I think I will hold onto it for a while. Out of curiosity, how much would this be worth?" I asked indifferently.
Tarvon grinned a trader's smile, "Dungeon artifacts like this are rare. My best guess, five to six thousand outside the Empire. If at auction, it could be more. But the Guild does not host dungeon auctions inside the Empire's borders," he added pointedly.
"Thank you, Tarvon." I stood and left the halfling.
I returned to the Eastern Legion Hall and did not find anyone in our bunk room. My guess is they were all out shopping with their new gold. I removed my own armor and dressed in the clothes I had procured yesterday. If anyone asks, I will profess to have bought them today. As I was leaving the Hall, a female voice called from behind, "Looking awfully sharp this afternoon, legionnaire." I spun to Hilda with her apron covered in flour coming out of the kitchen.
"Hilda, thank you for the wonderful breakfast. I was just heading out for a…" I was going to say meal but thought that might insult her, "drink."
She nodded thoughtfully, "Down by the river docks is a tavern called The Boastful Bard. Tell them I sent you; they will charge only a copper for your first. Large copper after that."
"Thank you!" I said, leaving the Hall. Since Hilda worked for a Praetorian Guard, I was not likely to use her name there as it might be some secret code to keep an eye on me. I might have to stop there on the way back to say I got a drink at her recommended place, though. I was looking for the trade district. My goal was to buy another book on spell forms in non-legion clothes.
I was not going to buy any books for the rare magics. That might draw attention to me. But I did have affinities of five in charm, eight in energy, and the newly added six in earth. All of these were too small to imprint a spell form, but if I found another magic affinity essence in one of these three, it might become strong enough. So my intention was to see what minor spell forms they offered.
I blended into the crowd as I moved toward the palace. The crowd was dense at the intersections, and it was hard to avoid the bustle of people. Someone tried to pick my pocket again. Since I had been on high alert, I noticed a street urchin boy, maybe six or seven, sliding away into the crowd empty-handed. He had searched one of my cloak's interior pockets and found nothing. The brazen boy came back and attempted my cloak's other side.
I snagged his wrist as he reached inside, lifting him off the ground with his arm. The crowd parted around us, not wanting to get involved. He squirmed and kicked, trying to free himself. He smelled off, like dried urine. "Stop your struggles, or I will snap your wrist," I warned him. He calmed down but had a fierce look of defiance in his eyes. I asked, "Where is a good bookstore?"
The thin boy did not seem to understand, "Point me in the direction of a good, respectable bookseller, and I will feed you."
He softened only slightly but finally answered, "Tell Another Tale." I looked impatiently at him. "Two streets up and two buildings left," he muttered. "Let me go!"
"You lead," I said, expecting him to run off. But he moved quickly and waited for me to bring him to the storefront.
He turned his back to me, "That cart there has good food." The food cart vendor eyed the boy suspiciously as we approached. It looked like open-face sandwiches.
"How much?" I asked the man.
"Five copper for a scoop on a slice," he replied, still watching the boy.
I handed him two large copper, "Four servings for the boy." He looked surprised, and the boy was drooling as I spoke and wide-eyed at my generosity. I left the cart and the boy to feast.
I entered the bookstore. It had the familiar library scent of aged paper and leather bindings. It was an orderly shop, but only six long double-sided shelves were in the center. An old woman approached me, "Young man, what are you looking for today?"
I smiled at the woman, "My twin nieces just had their tablet coming-of-age assessment. One had an energy affinity of eleven, and the other had an earth affinity of twelve! I hoped to get each of them the most basic book guiding them to a spell form for their affinity."
The woman's smile had yellowing teeth and one missing incisor. "Congratulations! Twins are more likely to have a high enough affinity for forming a spell form." She waved me forward to follow her, "I just received a translation to Telhiam from the Esenhem elves for the energy affinity." She pulled one of six identical thin books from the shelf. The book had a white leather cover and looked in pristine condition.
I paged through it under her watchful eye. The paper was thicker and a much brighter white than my other books. The script was neat, and the entire book was transcribed by hand, as were my others. I had not seen evidence of printing presses in the Empire. It had seven spell forms inside: three for someone with a ten affinity, two for someone with a twenty affinity, and two for someone with a thirty affinity. "How much?" I asked the old woman.
"Seven gold," she said, and I winced. "If you purchase an earth reference book, we can discuss a discount." The earth book was not as impressive, and it was well used. It only had help for three spell forms inside. One for each step of affinity: ten, twenty, and thirty. The elves obviously had better magical knowledge.
Still, these were what I was looking for. I nodded after paging through, and the woman offered, "Nine gold for both." That was less than I had paid in Macha, but I had no concept of the books' value.
I planned to buy them but tried to get a little more, "Can you throw in some storybooks? One for each girl?" I only wanted more material to help practice my reading.
"I wish I had an uncle like you growing up," the old woman gave her gap tooth smile. "I have just the two tales for the young women. Persephone is a tale of the love of a mortal and the God of the underworld." She pulled out a thin red book. "And, The Trojan War. A war fought for the right to marry a beautiful woman." I nodded and realized the First Legion had brought the mythic stories of Earth here.
"Agreed," and I pretended to reach inside my cloak and pulled the nine gold coins into my hand. She smiled and checked each coin before stacking the books together, wrapping them in cloth, and trying the cloth with bands so it was easier to carry.
I left the small bookshop and found the urchin across the street, his belly bloated. The boy was maybe fifty pounds, and each serving must have been a pound in my estimation. He made to move but looked like he might vomit and wisely settled back down against the stone wall of the business. I moved quickly away, heading back to the Legion Hall, not wanting to be followed by the young pickpocket.
Pavel and Benito were in the room when I returned. My satchel of books had been secreted away when I was certain I had no eyes in me. Both legionaries reminded me of the boy, having over-eaten, and they were now paying for it. They moaned on their beds, their armor off. I let them be and went to Castile's room and knocked. I hoped we could continue the training, but she did not answer.
When I returned to the room, Konstantin was there, "Eryk, good you are back. Change out of your pretty clothes, and let us head to the yard for some training. There are a number of weapon masters stationed here. We can hone your skills some." He looked at the two on the bed and turned away from them. I thought Konstantin would force them to practice till they vomited, but we left them to their misery in the room. I did not feel special.
I walked with Konstantin to the practice yard. A dozen men were in melee training with various weapons, and two men were practicing archery. I asked, "Where is Castile? Should someone not be with her?"
Konstantin tossed me a practice short sword, and I caught it easily. "She is at the Legatus Legionis' office. She is recording the deaths of the legion men so she can obtain the death certificates for the Adventurer's Hall. That way the funds can be transferred to their families."
I was slightly surprised, "Wow. That was not what I expected."
Konstantin grunted, "Normally, Adrian would have handled it, but Castile is doing it to confirm the transfer of Brutus, Flavius, Quentin, and Remus to our company. If we do not get them, then our company strength would be just nineteen."
"I was referring to her getting the funds for our dead companions sent to their families," I clarified.
Konstantin nodded, "She could have attempted to keep the coin, but that is not who Castile is. Even though she is broke, she promised the men the coin. When you go for lessons with her this evening, tread cautiously. She is not going to be in a good mood. Duke Octavian seized her collector on behalf of the Empire. That was the last thing she had of value that was hers."
"What? I thought she owned it," I paused, surprised, in our exchange, and Konstantin whacked me in the ribs for letting my guard down.
"It is almost impossible for a single person to pay for the accounted losses of a city, Eryk. All her assets have been seized, but she can start earning extra coin from assignments again. Duke Octavian made her destitute, but she will rise again," Konstantin attacked in a series, and I defended well. He paused, "You have improved your physicality."
I just nodded and attacked. As I made a good counter and scored a glancing strike, I asked, "How does weakening Castile help the Empire?"
Konstantin did not answer as we each added a parrying dagger. After we had worked up a lather and were resting, Konstantin answered my question, "The Emperor needs to maintain a fine balance. He keeps the Dukes happy by looking the other way during their petty grievances. Castile would have more value if she was a purely offensive mage. Instead, she falls in as a utility mage. Something like this would not have been done to Master Mage Durandus."
"But still Durandus is dead?" I said as we rehydrated from a small fountain in the courtyard.
"I am guessing his brother was supposed to swoop in and take him to freedom when things got out of hand," Konstantin postulated. Konstantin stood, "Enough rest. Let us see how you do against an unfamiliar opponent."
I groaned as I stood.
Two hours later, I was nursing my bruises in the hot soaking baths of the Legion Hall. The men I had practiced with were just as good, if not better, than Konstantin. I had paid for the lessons in welt and bruises. There was no point in healing my purple bruises in the baths. I would have to deal with them as I did not want Konstantin to know about my healing ability. One, because he would tell his Praetorian master, and two because there was a fear in the back of my mind, he would go harder on me in practice.
I exited the baths and went to our room. Benito and Pavel had left, and Konstantin had remained in the baths in a deep discussion with the other weapon masters. I had given him two marks today but had paid with twenty-fold on myself. Castile entered the room and looked around as I was folding my new clothes. I could not put them back into my space now, as everyone had seen them. Castile scanned the room slowly with hard and angry eyes, "We can work on your spell form if you wish, Eryk." Losing her collector was a major blow.
"I would appreciate that," I said, following her to her private room. I was looking forward to her lessons. They would be a lot less painful than Konstantin's.
Chapter 72: The Dreamscape A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 72
I sat with Castile at a desk while she produced three books from a leather pouch, "These are basics of aether shaping from the introduction class at the Mage College. You can store them in your space when you are not studying them."
"I thought you had no funds?" I asked as I paged through them.
"These are old texts, and I still have a few friends at the college. These books have been collecting dust for a hundred years and will not be missed. They take you through the three stages of spell shaping: aether awareness, manifestation, and manipulation." She had obviously gone to some lengths to procure these for me.
"Thank you," I said with genuine appreciation.
"Well, I still think you are wasting your time," she bristled but had been obviously waiting for the praise. "You can study them on your own and ask questions of me in private. All mages in the Empire are to be trained at the Mage College. Since you are technically not qualified to be a mage, I think we are safely outside of the law."
I studied her face, and it was obvious she was going to some lengths to show me that she was doing a lot to help me. I knew it was to gain my loyalty. "How did your time at the Legatus Legionis go?" I inquired, closing the books and sending them to my storage.
"You have been talking to Konstantin? Where is that old man?" Castile asked with a small smirk. I would not consider Konstantin old. He did have some grays in his beard.
"He abused me in the training yards this afternoon with the other weapon masters. They are relaxing in the hot baths now, talking about the best way to parry an overhead axe swing of an orc warrior," I informed Castile.
Castile eyes hardened slightly. She asked suspiciously, "Training with weapon's masters? Has he asked you to serve his Praetorian Guard master?"
I decided to trust the Castile with the truth, "Not since Macha. He said they usually do not accept foreigners into their service." I reached for information with a question, "Do you know who he serves?"
Castile eyes told me she was thinking about revealing it. She was working hard to cement my loyalty, and her body language told me she was worried Konstantin was going to swoop in and take me away. She finally said, "I believe he serves Antonia Segreto. She is a merchant of considerable wealth and influence. One of the few allowed to trade with the Esenhem elves. Rumor has it she has numerous agents outside the Empire as well. I do not know how Konstantin became involved with her or why he is in my company. My best guess is that I travel the Empire more than most mage companies, and he reports interesting news to her."
I digested all that information. "And Firth?" I asked about the other Praetorian servant I knew in our company.
Castile grunted comically like she had eaten something sour, "He is my watchdog. He reports directly to the office of the Legatus Legionis. His job is to make sure I do not betray the Empire or make a move against the Emperor. I do not know who in the office holds his lease, though." She sounded less enthused and trusting about Firth. I guess knowing someone was ready to stab you in the back the moment you crossed a line would do that to you. It also now made sense how she seemed to send Firth away on short assignments more than others in the company.
We started working on the spell form for the air shield, and after three hours, we ended the session to go and eat. We gathered the others from the bunk room and went to the small private dining room. Konstantin went down to collect the food and drink with Paval from the kitchen. Benito rubbed his stomach, saying, "I do not know if I can eat anymore today."
When they returned with the food, Benito ignored his earlier proclamation, filled his plate to bursting, and started eating. As we ate, Konstantin asked Castile, "Were the transfers approved for the four legionaries?"
"Yes," Castile replied while eating a thick potato soup, the only thing she took. "Company strength is confirmed at twenty-one even though Flavius is with Master Mage Sebastian. He will be not replaced if he does not return when we leave for the Sobral Province."
Benito spoke while he chewed, "Are we limited in what assignments we can take then if we are not at full strength?"
Castile nodded, "Yes. Benito that is surprisingly insightful of you. Our company size limits us to certain assignments. But we would need to fall to the company minimum of twelve legionnaires, and then we would be limited to only escort and guard duties."
Benito took the compliment by shoving another piece of steak into his mouth and smiling while he chewed. Konstantin reminded everyone, "The rest of the company should arrive late tomorrow evening. We will meet them and get into the bunk rooms. I have reserved a barge to transport us upriver in the morning."
"Excellent. I wanted to leave as soon as possible and not wait for the portal rotation." Castile stood. "Konstantin, if you have a moment, I would like to chat before you all get some sleep." Konstantin finished his cup and then followed Castile.
In the bunk room, Benito asked, "Did you spend money on those fancy clothes? You know that is just added weight in your pack."
Paval laughed, "Benito, he can probably squeeze them into his space now that we are no longer getting any potions."
To emphasize Paval's point, I tightly rolled all my new clothes and moved them into my legion box in my space. Benito laughed, "I never get tired of seeing magic. I would appreciate it if you would carry my pack sometime, Eryk."
"Coins are heavy. I would be happy to transport those for you," I said thoughtfully but was joking. Benito still dug around enthusiastically in his pack and was about to toss the pouch to me but paused, thinking through his action. We all laughed as he put the coins back, rethinking my offer.
Benito said through the laughter, "It is not that I don't trust you, Eryk; I just don't want to have to go to you every time I need a copper."
By the time I settled on my bed, Konstantin had not returned. The dreamscape amulet was hidden under my shirt as I closed my eyes and channeled aether into it.
I found myself standing in a familiar room, the entry room of the dungeon we had discovered. The dungeon entry was perfectly clean, missing the orc writing on the wall. The dungeon's exit was behind me, but it was a prismatic rainbow of colors instead of an oily black surface.
I guessed the exit from the dreamscape amulet was through that archway. I somehow knew my consciousness was now contained inside the amulet. The realization made it feel a little confining and claustrophobic. I calmed myself. The halfling said I would be able to control this dreamscape. I imagined myself in full kit, and the armor formed around me. I drew the short sword and tested the edge. The edge felt as if it had just been sharpened.
I walked around the entry room. Everything felt so real as I ran my fingers along the stone wall. I tried to change the wall to a flat granite stone, but it refused my efforts. I tried to change the floor, and again, nothing. It appeared the environment was fixed.
Next, I tried to create something alive. I remembered my dog from when I was a child, Oscar, a tri-colored Aussie. He appeared and ran up to me, wagging his cropped tail energetically. He felt like a real dog, with soft fur and a wet nose, and acted like I remembered. I spent time creating sticks and balls and playing with Oscar. I was reluctant to vanish him from the dreamscape, so I took him to the next room.
The familiar fire beetles dotted the dome and moved about, lighting the chamber. I thought about eliminating half of them, and they started to wink out rapidly. Then I tried doubling their number, and the chamber quickly lit up to a day's brightness. The soft earth in the chamber probably concealed the two ankhegs. Could I see them without them erupting from the soft earth? Yes. I knew where they were if I focused. Could I reduce it to just one? Yes, the earth rippled, sunk, and one was gone.
What about creating a monster we didn't find in the dungeon? Maybe a griffin? It took a little more effort as I felt the amulet was drawing on my knowledge to create the creature. I surmised the more I knew and experienced something, the better the manifestation. The griffin looked real but acted somewhat aggressive. I banished the creature when it tried to bite Oscar with its beak.
What about Konstantin? The familiar legionnaire appeared and immediately addressed me, "Are you going to laz about all evening?" The stern legionnaire barked at me. "Draw your blade, and we can proceed through all the sword forms with a single weapon, two weapons, and then a sword and shield."
"Not today," I smirked, and I willed the ankheg to attack Konstantin, and it burst forth from the ground. Konstantin rolled expertly away as he began to fight the monstrous creature. Oscar looked up at me as we watched the battle unfold. I had not thought Konstantin stood a chance fighting it alone, but he was holding his own. He circled the beast and hacked when he had a chance, chipping away at the chitin shell. Oscar watched cocking his head, fascinated, as did I. I had thought to get some therapeutic revenge against Konstantin, but he was actually winning.
The ankheg then sprayed acid and missed him. It, however, created a large area he could not move into while it soaked into the dirt, limiting Konstantin's movement. This gave the ankheg a chance, and my dreamscape Konstantin was soon caught and crushed in a claw. I dismissed the body and creature, feeling somewhat guilty watching Konstantin fight alone.
The spider bridge was the same as I remembered. I froze the spiders with a thought before they even appeared and went to the next chamber. The familiar island with the floating stepping stones was here. I was able to freeze the jumping stones so they did not wobble. I moved to the final chamber with the giant scorpion. The snails trailing the viscous glowing liquid were also here.
So, this amulet recreated the entire dungeon as a dreamscape. I could control everything inside and even create things I was familiar with. Was the amulet's purpose to practice the dungeon before actually entering? Did time pass normally? What would happen if I died inside fighting? How accurate were my creations? Did the amulet learn from me or me from it? If someone else used the amulet, would my creations remain?
I had a lot of questions, and I admitted it was an extremely useful device, even if the environment was limited to the dungeon geography. I begrudgingly admitted I needed the book that Tarvon Fogbough had mentioned. I went back to the ankheg chamber and practiced fighting with Konstantin. He fought just like the man but spoke a lot more, constantly berating my poor skills.
The best part about the dreamscape was I did not tire. Oscar sat and watched the entire time, patiently waiting for his chance to play again. I decided it was time to leave, but I checked one thing before I left. I created the spell form book for protection magic. I paged through it numerous times and confirmed the book was replicated entirely here. This meant I could study my magic while I was in here.
I gave Oscar a pat before walking out of the dungeon entrance. I woke in my bed with some dampness from sweat and a pressing migraine. It was warm but not hot in the bunk room, so I was confused by the sweat. It was still dark out the only window in the room. I could hear the others breathing in their sleep and Bentio's intermittent snoring. I moved the amulet to storage and would keep it there whenever I was not using it.
As I lay there, I thought about my experience inside the dreamscape. Time was apparently the same. It was the middle of the night. So five hours had passed in both realms. I was curious what kind of gains I could gain. My body felt well-rested, but my mind was taxed. The largest disadvantage was when I was in the dreamscape, I was unaware of anything happening to my body. I would need to be careful when I used the artifact.
It was not long before Konstantin barked to wake us all up, "Get suited for the yard. The vacation is over. Eryk, you and I will see Castile before heading down. She wants to know more about your time with Chancellor Marcel. And so do I."
Chapter 73: Reunited A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 73
The three of us sat in a small meeting room. My head ached a little bit, almost like a hangover from using the dreamscape amulet. Castile opened the conversation, "Konstantin informed me last night the Collegium Scholarium is preparing for a sizable expedition. Konstantin thinks you are responsible."
I looked at Konstantin and then at Castile. Konstantin had never questioned me about my interview and apparently took things into his own hands to investigate, "I only answered the questions of Chancellor Marcel. He was looking for the titan's city of Atlantium and thought Durandus found it buried deep in the swamp."
Konstantin was not surprised, but Castile arched her eyebrow slightly. She looked to be grinding her teeth slightly. "Why did you not tell me about this city when you returned?"
I did not have a good answer, "You never asked. I did not think an ancient city buried under hundreds of feet of silt was important."
Castile looked over at Konstantin and then back to me, "It is important. The Emperor is involved. He is sending five hundred of the Imperial Legion with the expedition. Ten mage companies and three units of regulars from the western forts are being recalled to protect the site."
That did sound like a large investment. "What does it mean for us?"
"Nothing," Konstantin muttered. "If the discovery is as important as it seems, the Chancellor will be given credit for it, not our company." I now understood why they were upset. The knowledge of the buried ruins might have helped Castile during the Tribunal.
"The Chancellor wanted to talk with Brutus and Flavius when they arrived," I offered. Castile held up a note with the Chancellor's seal. I had forgotten to inform them and winced. I had been focused on myself.
Castile shook her head, "What's done is done. Konstantin, with Orson dead and Flavius with Master Mage Sebastian, I want Eryk trained as a scout."
"What?" we both responded at the same time. "My dimensional pocket…"
"It is not as valuable if we have no perishables for you to store," Castile finished. "Konstantin, train the men. Eryk, let's review the spell forms before you join them." Konstantin left the room, giving me a sidelong glance on his way out.
"Why are you pushing me toward Konstantin?" I asked when we were alone.
"I am doing you a favor, Eryk. He will think I am punishing you for not having told me about the ruins. Konstantin knows more about survival than most Hounds. Learn from him. You may need the knowledge one day," she said pointedly. I was confused but nodded. Was she trying to earn my loyalty or give me the tools to escape the Empire? We quickly reviewed the spell forms before Castile sent me away to train.
I found the others in the yard. Paval was getting abused by a sword master I had faced yesterday. Benito and Linus worked with a shield and spear against a training dummy. Konstantin called to me, "Get two practice blades, Eryk. We will work under those trees." I picked two wrapped short shorts and went to the area he had indicated.
As we stretched, Konstantin asked, "So, what spell form are you working on with Castile?"
I paused in my stretching and looked at him. He had asked so casually. "You told me it was never a good idea to reveal secrets if you did not need to. Unless you are going to tell me about yours?"
Konstantin grunted, "Well, at least you listen. Maybe you will be trainable as a scout. After sparing practice, we will go to the Emperor's olive orchards. Maybe I can teach something to prevent you from getting killed the first time you are sent ahead."
He did not sound too enthused about training me. I learned a little from the trackers when we hunted goblins and picked up a few things here and there, but I would not consider myself skilled. Konstantin was not gentle today. I was going to have to use some healing tonight if I was going to be able to sleep. We switched to sword and shield.
Frustrated with the abuse, I used a series of attacks I had worked on in the dreamscape last night. I was shocked, as was Konstantin when the blade clipped the back of his knee. He limped back and paused the session. I thought he was going to return the injury tenfold, but instead, he said, "Nice strike. You left your left side open, and you would be dead if you had been fighting two opponents." He winced, "I need to see the healing mage. We will meet here in one hour." Konstantin hobbled off.
I was stunned, as was Linus, who had been watching. I realized the muscle memory of the attack sequence I practiced in the dreamscape transitioned to the real world. Linus drew my attention, "That was impressive, Eryk. Do you want to practice spear and shield?" He was due to work with one of the spear masters and wanted a way out. I shook my head no, leaving him to his fate. I walked away so I would not get pulled in and healed the worst of my contusions and bruised muscles.
I wished I had a book on how the amulet worked to get the most out of it. I was guessing it somehow pulled knowledge from me and incorporated it into my creations. "I am just going to watch for a while," I indicated to two of the more skilled men practicing with shield and sword. I got a canteen of water, sat in the shade, and intensely focused on their fighting style. There were the elements of the basic sword forms we learned, and other unfamiliar aspects blended together to create a blinding offense and defense.
What I saw was too fast to discern clearly, but maybe my subconscious could sort it. I was still watching them when Konstantin returned, his limp healed. He waved me over, and we left the Legion Hall. I walked by Konstantin's side as we exited the massive city gates. Outside the city was another city of endless buildings, but these were made of wood, and the people's dress quality had dropped off significantly.
Konstantin said seriously, "I just heard the news that Macha has been retaken. The Duke tore down half the outer city with earthquakes. The Bartiradian army was decimated, and remnants fled across the border."
I offered my opinion, "That seems awfully brutal. What about the citizens that remained?"
"It is brutal. We can expect there to be a reprisal. The Duke barely lost any men and is now riding for the border. With the expedition to the swamps by Collegium Scholarium, the Empire is planning to send more men to support Duke Tiberius' attack," Konstantin informed me. "There has not been such a push in my lifetime."
"Are we going back then?" I focused and kicked a pebble on the paved road.
"No, we have our assignment. Keep your eyes on your surroundings, Eryk. A scout needs to be alert in the city as well as the wild, not kicking stones," Konstantin reprimanded me. "Tell me about the three people we just passed on our left. Do not turn around."
I was familiar with this teaching tactic from our time patrolling Macha. I thought hard on the last few seconds, "Two men and one woman carrying a basket. The basket had laundry. Probably clean since it was wet," I said confidently.
Konstantin grunted, probably because I remembered so much. "The two men were behind her, thickly muscled and close enough to grab her in case she ran. She had a dead-eye stare, resigned to her fate. Probably a new prostitute in the Sprawl." The Sprawl was the city that surrounded the capital.
I turned now but did not see the three in question, "Should we go save her?"
Konstantin gave me the harsh reality, "You can not save everyone, Eryk. Even being a legionnaire, the criminal enterprise those two worked for would kill you if you interfered in their business."
The education continued for the next mile as we reached a walled orchard guarded by legionaries. We entered the orchard after Konstantin talked with them. "This is one of the Emperor's Olive Orchards. He is the only one allowed to grow and produce oil from and ferment olives. We are going to practice moving quietly and unseen. There should be pickers in amongst the trees. We are going to sneak up on them."
The next four hours were not as fun as I had hoped. Konstantin spent an hour showing, and then I had to put it into practice. The biggest key was seeing the target before they saw you. Then, using the terrain to remain unseen. I learned a lot and but thought I had done horribly. The pickers had learned what we were doing and made my life hell. I also swear Konstantin was rewarding them with coppers when they spotted me, so they were on high alert.
As we walked back to the city, Konstantin said, "Not terrible. It takes a lot of practice. Your biggest problem is your lack of patience. Now tell me about the two boys playing with wooden swords…"
Being so focused on everything around you all the time was extremely mentally taxing. When we reached the Eastern Legion Hall, my head was splitting from all the thinking I had been doing that day. I was famished and happy to sit down and eat with my small company family. The meal was a salad with peppers, corn, zucchini, and tomato in a vinegar and oil dressing. We did not have meat tonight, but plenty of hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper. I was not the only one hungry, and we quickly finished all the food.
After everyone was satiated, Castile addressed us, "The portal to Caranhagan will open two hours after sunset. We will meet the rest of the company at the portal." I was left to study my spell form on my own as Castile was too busy.
Three hours later, we escorted Castile in the center of our box formation. The Displacement Mage opened the portal. Dozens of people, soldiers, and legionaries streamed out quickly for the short duration the mages could hold the portal open. I recognized Delmar first and then Lirkin. Our company peeled from the exiting crowd and joined us on the plaza. Delmar had everyone form up and salute Castile. It was touching, and Castile might have shed a tear, but I could not tell as I was behind her. Everyone was present except for Flavius.
Castile ordered, "Brutus, you need to report to the Collegium Scholarium for questioning. Ask for the Chancellor," she handed him the letter. "Everyone else, form a block, we are headed to the Eastern Legion Hall."
Adrian and Delmar flanked Castile at the front, and the rest of us formed up behind, and we marched through the city. When we arrived at the Hall, we got the news from the men. They had to wait for the next portal cycle to the capital. Benito and Linus were happy to relay our heroic run and the questioning by the Truthseekers.
We occupied a second bunk room, and everyone removed their gear and armor. The room quickly took on the smell of a locker room, and I think my choice to sleep near the window was a mistake. The airflow was pulling all the odors past me. Soon, everyone was asleep. The heavy breathing and snoring kept me awake. I thought about using the amulet but knew we were headed to the docks at first light to take a barge upriver to the Duchess' estate. Brutus returned before dawn and found a free bunk in the dark.
Adrian's voice cut sharply in the bunk room, and it felt like I had not gotten any rest, "Gear up! Breakfast down in the commons, and then we are moving to catch our ride."
The Legion Hall was active pre-dawn as other companies were also moving to their day's assignments. The common room was a cafeteria, and the servers gave everyone the same plate of food. The meal was a thick oatmeal with raisins and dates. I never liked oatmeal in my life, but I forced it down anyway.
We marched out into the streets and made our way to the Adventurer's Hall. I was surprised that the transactions went a lot quicker for everyone in the company. Guild Master Icarus was expecting us. Most just paid a small fee to have their prize coin transferred to their family, only taking a few gold themselves. The men were in a good mood, and I think it would soften the blow when they found out their wages were being cut in half. It was mid-morning when we finally made our way to the docks, Firth being the most vocal about not being able to spend his coin at the local brothels. I thought perhaps Castile just did not want him making a report to his Praetorian Guard handler.
The city of Telhian was on a tributary to the ocean, and the larger docks for sea-faring vessels were in a small bay. The smaller estuary docks had small barges for trade going up and down the wide river. Our barge was forty feet long and fifteen feet wide. We all piled in, and I was glad we were not walking to the Duchess' estate.
The barge was one long, wide, shallow bathtub. It had a single mast and a sail in the center. It was crewed by three men. One worked the tiller, one the sail, and the third created the wind with his spell form. I moved to the bow of the barge and set up my pack to get some sleep on the boat ride. Delmar barked, "Eryk, it is a new day. No time to sleep. Pair off with Mateo for some practice. Whoever gets knocks the other in the water can take a nap!"
This was more of a game than actual training. We were using staves that Adrian had brought on board. I had a lot of training with the weapon when I trained with Helena in training. Bets were being placed, and I was on the losing end as Mateo was heavily favored.
I smirked as we stripped out of our armor, and Mateo was wet before he knew it. He was pulled back aboard to jeers. Instead of falling asleep for my earned nap, I positioned myself in the bow to watch everyone else train. I studied everyone intently, gaining knowledge for the next time I used the dreamscape amulet as we made our way up the river.
Chapter 74: River Cruise A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 74
The barge floated down the calm river, and the dunking game turned into an interesting contest. Everyone was given a staff and fought without armor. Pulling the defeated man back on board was a rush before he floated past the stern. Sometimes, it was required for Blaze to toss him a rope before he passed. The losers stripped their clothes to dry in the sun. I was asked a few times if I wanted another go, but I declined.
We did learn that Kolm could not swim, and Firth jumped in first to save him from drowning. Kolm was vomiting up water while Firth swore at him breathing heavily from the effort, "Damn it, Kolm, you are heavier than a fat merwoman."
The contest was more to distract us as Castile, Adrian, and Delmar had a serious discussion in the stern and only watched briefly. I wondered what they were talking about concerning our fate.
As the men were drying, I could see Adrian and Delmar going around and talking with each person. Since they skipped Konstantin, myself, and the other three who ran ahead, I was assuming they were letting them know the results of the Tribunal, Castile's fate, and how it affected them.
I relaxed and watched the mage summon and manipulate his wind into the single sail. He must have a huge aether pool to keep the continuous heavy breeze and overcome the current. The mast even groaned under the stress. After the staff battles had finished, and I got bored watching the sail, I focused on the passing shoreline.
The river was wide, over half a mile across. There were numerous small towns and farms along the western shore as we traveled. I assumed the man at the tiller was keeping the box-like barge in the river area with the least current. When we veered close to the eastern shore, Blaze suddenly stood and released an arrow. A squeal of pain erupted from among the trees. Blaze announced while scanning the trees, "Gnoll. Everyone be prepared for an attack."
We mobilized quickly, shields came up, and the barge angled away from the shore. Adrian and Castile were talking, and I overheard small pieces of the conversation. We were only fifteen miles from the capital, and it was unusual to have gnolls this close. They were on the far shore, but still, it seemed to unsettle my comrades. Gnolls appeared to be a hyena-humanoid in their appearance.
After a few miles of river, everyone relaxed, and we stayed away from the eastern shore. Konstantin came and sat with me. "What do you know about gnolls?" I was about to get some more scout information.
"Just what they look like," I responded, having seen a few dead ones fleeing Macha.
"Gnolls are a plague because one pregnant gnoll gives birth to five or more in just three months. The young grow to maturity in just over a year. Two of those birthed will likely be female, and then you have fifteen or more pups on the way. In just two years, they will start sending out hunting packs. They are carnivores and will eat any flesh."
Brutus sat on my other side, adding, "I was always told they plague us because we killed off their natural enemies, larger creatures, and the like. Now they are able to breed unmolested."
Konstantin laughed with mirth, "That and the wood elves have left the lands. Before the First Legion arrived, dozens of small elven villages were within the borders of the Empire. The wood elves hated and hunted gnolls with a passion."
Brutus defended the Empire, "The elves were banished from the Empire because they would not join the army or pay a tithe to support it."
Konstantin huffed a short chuckle, "That is what the history books say. But the history books are written by the Empire. I am sure if you asked the Bartiradian elves or the elves of Esenhem, they would have a different retelling of the histories."
I soon tuned out Konstantin and Brutus debating the histories and policies of the Empire. I closed my eyes, listening to the water rushing under my head in the bow, and finally got some sleep.
"Wake up," Brutus shook me. "We are making landfall to set up camp for the night."
I stirred and found it was late in the evening. "Why are we not traveling throughout the night?"
"He is out of aether," he indicated the man who had been filling the sail. "We are going to beach the barge at that town," he pointed at a small village with a row of fishing boats moored appearing ahead.
Adrian spoke to everyone, "I have been told there are only eight rooms at the inn in the village. Castile will stay there, and everyone else on the barge. Unless you want to pay the coin for your own room," he added.
Brutus murmured to himself, "As long as it doesn't rain, it should be fine." I forgot Brutus did not receive a share of the dungeon discovery reward.
Firth was the first one off the barge when it hit the sand bar. He turned to everyone, "If this armpit of a village has a tavern, then the first drink is on me!" That call got everyone to mobilize off the barge. I remained and watched the bargemen drive stakes into the shore to anchor the craft. The three bargemen then went to the tavern. I was left on the barge with Lirkin and Mateo, who were sorting through the supplies that had been packed on the barge before we left. Most of it was provisions for the six-month assignment.
I approached the two, "Do you need help?"
Lirkin looked up, "No, just confirming everything on the inventory Delmar gave me. Konstantin ordered it, and Delmar wants it confirmed. At least dinner will be at the tavern, and I will not have to cook tonight. I would have prepared a meal on the river, but I get a little sick from the motion."
I sat on a crate, "What did Adrian and Delmar tell you this morning?"
Mateo answered, "Mostly to take better care of our packs and gear. Castile no longer has an account at Legion Halls, so we must pay from our weekly pay to replace our gear. Still can be housed and fed at the Halls."
Lirkin added unhappily, "We can still exchange worn-out gear, though. Also, our weekly salary needs to be drawn when we are in cities. And at half the rate we have been receiving," he grunted.
"Adrian said she would make it up from the sale of loot eventually, though. The real kicker is the healing potions. Adrian told us not to get hurt," Mateo laughed harshly.
"Castile is a mage. Why can't she just learn to cast a healing spell?" said Lirkin as he rolled up the ledger, having finished.
"I am sure Castile would if she could," I replied defending Castile.
Lirkin grunted and noted, "Missing one crate of potatoes, not bad considering how rushed the order was."
Lirkin and Mateo remained to guard the supplies, and I went to get dinner. They were going to be relieved by Blaze and Firth later. As I walked, I also planned to check if any more rooms were left at the small inn. The noise in the tiny town led me to the tavern, where everyone else was drinking and eating. The local food was a spinach pie cooked with bacon fat and chunks of roasted garlic and onion. The crust was buttery, dense, and filling.
I listened to the conversations at my table. Most of the legionaries were angry with how Castile was being treated and how it had a trickle-down effect on them. I finished a second serving of the spinach pie and asked the barkeep where the inn was located. It was directly across the street but did not have a sign on it.
There was a single room left for one silver for the night. I gladly paid and went and knocked on Castile's door after checking out the small room. Adrian opened the door, and it was obvious they had been eating dinner and discussing company business in her room.
Castile motioned me in, "Eryk, we are almost done. We can spend some time working on your spell form in a few minutes."
Delmar continued speaking, ignoring my presence, "If the ledger is correct, we have just under six weeks of food. If the Duchess does not supply consumables, there are two farms near her city where we can requisition some. The barge was stocked well, and Konstantin did a good job. I would still like ten more small bundles of arrows and two bows. Lirkin and Felix are our two next-best bowmen."
Adrian added heavily, "We did lose most of our skilled archers. We should probably do some more formation practice since we have so many holes in the company."
"And it is likely to get worse with every man we lose," the straight-backed Castile huffed. "Fine, we will work on formations in the evening. Get Lirkin and Felix some practice with the short bows. Any other concerns?"
"We can talk on the barge tomorrow," Adrian said, eyeing me, leaving with Delmar following him out.
I produced the book and sat on the bed next to Castile, "Do they know you are helping me work on a spell form?"
"Yes, Eryk. I made them aware. They do not think you are bending me over the bed if that is what you are worried about," Castile chastised me. She sounded slightly offended, so I avoided a response.
After we studied for a bit, I asked, "Why have you not learned any healing spells? You can cast spells, so why no healing spells."
"Sometimes I forget you lack the basics taught in the first year of the Mage College. You need to create the spell form and use the aether of the specific affinity. If you studied the books I gave you, it would detail how to identify your different affinities on your core. You need to give the aether that affinity when casting the spell. Otherwise, the spell form created with the aether just collapses," she paused. Then she admitted, "I have almost no affinity for healing magic. If I created the healing spell form, it would be so weak it could only heal a wound from a splinter."
"So, how strong does a mage's affinity need to be to create an effective healing spell?" I questioned Castile.
"Thirty is the low end for healing and most spells. The purity of the aether you create from your core empowers the spell further. Someone with an affinity of seventy will produce a much stronger spell than someone with thirty in the associated affinity," I nodded at Castile's explanation. It explained so much and answered Lirkin's question.
We spent just over an hour reviewing the spell forms, and I think I was getting close. Castile had taken a multi-faceted approach to helping me. She had learned a dozen tricks in her time at the mage college. The mages who attended were expected to imprint all their spell forms in the first year. Most mages had between two and six affinities over ten.
Renna, the peasant girl I met while hunting the griffins, was learning her spell forms from High Mages before she even went to the Mage College. When I asked why, Castile had an answer, "Renna was being groomed. She was not only expected to learn the spell forms, but she was also going to be schooled in etiquette. The Mage College is a tough environment for plebians. My guess is they were just trying to prepare her so she would not buckle under the pressure."
I left Castile and locked myself in my private room. It was not quiet, as an energetic couple could easily be heard through the thin wooden wall. The thuds and grunts bleeding through the wall would not matter as I produced and donned the amulet under my shirt. I probably should have brought my armor to my room from the barge but decided against making a return trip to the barge. Laying down, I channeled aether into the amulet.
I was stunned to find an excited and barking Oscar, happy to see me in the entry room. I walked into the next chamber, and the disturbed soil and blood from Konstantin was still there. This was unexpected as the amulet did not reset when I left. I gave Oscar a pat and then watched as I had an ogre and ankheg battle. The ankheg won after a very graphic and smelly fight.
I needed to decide how best to use my time in the dreamscape. If the amulet remembered everything I did when I was last here, would those things be here if someone else used the amulet? Could the amulet learn from other people as well? Every question led to another question. I needed to know more about its capabilities to get the most use out of it. I considered asking Castile. She seemed genuine in her efforts to help me.
I materialized a shelf and a comfortable black leather reclining reading chair in the entry room. I took the protection spell form book and continued studying from the evening. The quicker I learned the wind shield, the safer I would be. Oscar was in my lap, and I had absentmindedly rubbed his head while I studied the book. I spent about six hours in the dreamscape before returning through the prismatic dungeon entrance.
My head ached again on the bed in my room when I returned. I returned the amulet and slept a few hours before an irritated Konstantin banged on my door, "Eryk! If you are in there, we are leaving soon. Get your arse in gear if you don't want to be swimming to catch up. Next time, let someone know where you are sleeping!"
I put on my boots and rushed down to the barge. I caught up to Konstantin, who had a gleeful smile on his face as it looked like the company was just starting to eat breakfast on the barge. He had me rush for no reason.
"Grab some food, and we can walk the woods around the town. The barge leaves in a few hours. If you are going to be a scout, it is all about practice, and we have time to practice." At least my headache was gone from using the amulet.
Chapter 75: When it Rains, it Pours A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 75
Konstantin waited while I retrieved my armor and suited up. Delmar laid into me, "Eryk, we found your armor here this morning and just assumed you drowned. You sleep this far again from your armor, and you will wish you had drowned!" I did not argue but figured it was unimportant since we were in a town. I had my short sword and my own tricks if something had come up.
Brutus elbowed me, "Don't worry, Bentio lost his helm to the river last night, and Lysander left his armor on the barge as well. He spent the night warming the bed of the old server woman at the tavern. The fat one," he laughed at Lysander's desperation and others listening joined in.
Konstantin yelled, "Hurry it up, legionnaire. If there was an enemy in the woods, they would have taken their morning shit and be eating second breakfast by now."
I was not so sure I wanted this scout training. No, I did want it; I just would have preferred it was someone other than Konstantin teaching me. I finished buckling the armor and walked toward Konstantin, who was already walking away. I did not run after him; I just increased my pace slightly.
As we walked into the woods, he commented, "In the wild, you should sleep in your cuirass. It is uncomfortable as all Hades, but trying to wake and buckle it on is difficult when the battle rages around you. You can take off the baltea, vambraces, and greaves. But keep the helmet close by and put it in the same spot every night so it is instinctual to grab it and put it on at the first sign of trouble."
I chuckled, "At least you are not asking me to sleep in the helm."
He replied seriously, "I have found I hear better not wearing it to sleep. It affects your ability to hear things clearly around you as the metal helm rubs." I just nodded at his wisdom.
We entered the woods, and I was inundated with a lecture of endless information. I just focused on remembering as much as I could. The poisonous plants that made you break into a rash. How to identify signs of a person or beast passing. How to use the environment to conceal myself as I moved. Always identify the quickest, safest path of retreat. He mentioned some edibles as well but did not say how they tasted. The reconisence was a long, wide arc around the village, and I had numerous scratches from brambles while Konstantin had managed to somehow escape with none.
As soon as we boarded the barge, all the men helped push off. Konstantin reported to Castile, and I stood next to him, "No sign of gnolls in the surrounding woods."
Adrian replied, "The gnoll was miles back and on the other side of the river. Do you think its pack followed us?"
Everyone looked at Konstantin, who spoke from experience, "There is easier prey in the woods on their side of the river to feed them. But they are already bold being so close to the capital." Konstantin asked indifferently, "Do you want me to scout to the opposite shore?"
Castile shook her head no, "We already warned the village to be on alert, and they will spread the word of the gnoll sighting. I only noticed a few gnolls following our progress on the river with my sight. If we knew how large the pack was, it could help."
Konstantin made a supposition, "I think Duke Tiberous pulled too many mage companies to him from the capital. Due to his war preparation, they probably have had limited patrols for months out away from the cities and large towns."
Adrian seemed impatient, "We should reach the city of Parvas at midday. If they are going to attack us, it would be before then. We should keep shields and archers at a ready."
Delmar grunted, "We were going to do that anyway. The bargemen said Parvas has the only bridge across the Aganterao River before Sobral." The meeting of the minds was finished, and I was allowed to take my reclining seat in the bow.
The barge made its way to the center of the river, and the bargeman, with the wind spell, started to move the barge into the choppy water. Delmar had crates shifted and shield men and bowmen ready to respond. Adrian gave everyone the day off from training as a number of men had already sacrificed their breakfast to the river. The water was much rougher today, and the large barge rocked in the waves.
I, however, did not get the afternoon off. Konstantin questioned me endlessly about what he told me this morning. It was like he expected me to remember everything after just one telling. Lirkin attempted to cook but failed miserably as he had motion sickness. We ended up beached on a sandbar intentionally to stabilize the barge so he could prepare a lunch of sliced ham wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves. It also gave the bargeman who was creating the wind a break.
While we ate, a small water funnel moved down the river away from us. One of the bargemen shouted, "It is just a minor water elemental. They are harmless as long as you do not bother them."
Castile also took time to send out her all-seeing-eye to scout the far shore. I overheard her tell her lieutenants that she did not see any signs of a gnoll war party following us on the opposite shore. After lunch, I was one of the unlucky men who had to unbeach the barge. We sunk into the wet sand up to our knees to push the boat back into the current. We were going to make Parvas before nightfall, and then it would just be one more full day on the river to Sobral.
It soon to rain, and the wind started to turn gusty. Fortunately, we had the gusts at our backs, but waves still washed over the low barge rails. We all scrambled to protect the cargo. I was close enough to hear Castile talking to the man on the tiller, "It might be magical weather. It does not feel like a natural storm blowing through. We should probably make for shore and wait it out."
The waves were getting larger, and he nodded and yelled in the whipping wind, "We are thirty miles from Parvas. If we land, we will not make it before nightfall."
Castile looked to Adrian and Delmar, who both nodded. Castile acknowledged, "Land the barge!"
As soon the barge hit a muddy bank, Delmar ordered all the crates of supplies to be brought to shore, and we would make camp in the trees, high up the riverbank. The shore was a soft mud with a constant wash of waves. Before we knew it, we were covered from the waist down in the black mud, dragging the supplies up the twenty-foot-high bank. Castile had made the correct call as the storm intensified, and the rain started to turn into a heavy thick haze with no signs of slowing.
It took hours for everything to be brought up and covered, and the bargemen anchored their raft, but the heavy winds pushed it further and further into the mud as the river rose. Even I could see what was going to happen. The river would fall, and the barge would be stuck in the mud. Even though the bargemen knew it as well, they had no choice as the chop on the river was intense.
Delmar was screaming to be heard as we set up camp in the evergreen trees off the bank. He was trying to direct us where to set up tents and get sentries set. Our packs were the last thing we had brought up from the barge, and mine had been sitting in water for over an hour. Donte's pack had washed overboard, and he had lost fifteen gold. He was not the only one with the bad luck.
Half of our legion armor lost pieces of armor, mostly vambraces and greaves, washing overboard. We had not worn our full kit in case we fell into the water, it would have been more difficult to swim in them. I was fortunate to have saved all my armor, although the padding in my helmet was soaked. We all fought to set up our tarp tents where Delmar wanted them. I staked my corners and hacked thin green trees to create ribs inside. It was very crude, but I had at least gotten myself on a bed of pine needles and would not be sleeping in the mud.
The rain continued to fall in sheets outside. My tent was open at one end, and I could see others struggling. Adrian popped his head into my tent, looking at my dry space, "Nice work, Eryk. You have the first watch." He pointed out into the trees, "Ten paces that way. Dinner is your packed ration bar. Felix will join you on sentry." He walked away before I could reply.
I pulled out the wrapped bar, quickly consumed it, and then washed it with a canteen of water. I rubbed the wax off the leaf and pocketed it for when I had to shit later. I pulled one of my oiled heavy rain cloaks out of my storage space. It was a Legion-issue cloak, so its appearance would go unnoticed. As I stood up in the rain, I was mostly worried I would find someone in my tent when I returned after being relieved. My tent could squeeze two but was comfortable for one.
I moved to the trees to find a shivering Donte. I felt terrible for him since he lost a small fortune when his pack went into the water. At least he had sent most of his reward to his parents before we left Telha. "They said to give this to you," I handed him the other oiled cloak from my dimensional space, pretending to produce it from inside my own cloak.
Donte nodded gratefully and put it on before going back to camp. I leaned against a large evergreen trunk and stared out into the woods. The heavy rain stirred the scent of fresh pine, and the gray sky was slowly dimming. Felix appeared next to me and leaned into the massive trunk as well. We were one of three pairs of sentries. The tree gave us a little shelter from the rain, but it still came down hard.
"I do not think I have ever been this wet," Felix muttered, miserable. I could barely hear him in the heavy rain.
"Is camp set up?" I asked.
"Mostly, they are trying to get the crates off the ground before letting people sleep," he voiced loudly.
As the sun set, the rain got colder and colder and did not lessen one bit. I tapped Felix and walked to check the river before it got too dark. The barge was still tied to trees, but the river had also risen halfway up the banks. It had been raining for hours. I returned to my post and told Felix. He said Castile and Adrian were aware of the possibility of the river cresting.
We stood in silence until we were finally relieved by Blaze and Kolm. I had my glowstone out when I got to my tent, and no one was there, but someone had slept there as another backpack was present. It was probably someone who had just gone on sentry duty. I did as Konstantin lectured me. I left on my cuirass armor on and took everything else off. Then I placed my helm close with my glowstone inside of it. The stone was in a small black bag but quickly accessible.
I had my sleeping roll under me and used my oiled cloak as a blanket. I had only closed my eyes for a few hours when two sharp whistles rang out. Then a voice cut the heavy thuds of rain, "We are moving camp! The river is going to crest soon!" It was Adrian yelling for all to hear.
Glowstones appeared in the dark camp as everyone scrambled to pack their gear. I put on my armor and helm, stuffed my backpack with the wet bedroll, and took down my tarp tent. Brutus came and took his pack from my tent. His own tarp had been used to cover the supplies. Delmar was calling those who finished to carry crates further into the forest. I shouldered my pack and was given a crate of onions to carry. The sentries were pulled in and given time as well to pack.
The bargemen were staying in hopes their vessel could be salvaged after the storm. Konstantin made a report in the rain, and Castile and Adrian gave the hand signs for marching two abreast. We were headed for a tower on a hill that Konstantin had spotted from the river. Before moving out, we could see the river lapping at the bank's top. We were leaving behind almost half our supplies. We could not carry everything.
Konstantin led us a few miles in the dark night up a modest hill to an old crumbling watch tower on top. The floors above had collapsed, but it was sheltered from the wind. There was a brief discussion about whether to try and return for more supplies, but Castile decided not to return. The inside of the tower was square and twenty-five feet across. Some stone steps in the wall led to the top. It had only one entrance, so at least fewer sentries would be needed for the rest of the night.
Our soaked bodies unloaded our supplies, and not a single man did not have a sore back from carrying the heavy crates two miles. I sat against the wall and with others as the rain continued to fall through the missing roof. Konstantin sat next to me, "What do you think this tower was for, Eryk?" I did not want to be tested, but I studied the structure anyway.
It was maybe fifty feet to the top, and we were still close to the river. "Maybe it is to keep an eye on the river?"
"Exactly!" Konstantin exclaimed excitedly. "Before the Telhian Empire, these lands had dozens of small kingdoms. This watch tower belongs to a ruined elven city a few miles inland. The elven city of Caelora."
I knew Konstantin studied history, so his knowledge did not surprise me. He continued, "If the barge is not useable when the rain stops, we must make our way on foot to Sobral. We should take the old roads and pass near the haunted ruins!"
I humored him, "Sounds like fun," I said, drifting off for some much-needed sleep.