by Eric Ugland
There was some thrashing around, but the halberd held, and the matriarch couldn’t rid herself of either me or my weapon. As her blood and brain fluid sprayed forth in the worst possible wash, she died.
It wasn’t pretty — it was actually gruesome — but it had been effective.
GG! You’ve killed an Ancient Forest Wyrm (lvl 67 Matriarch).
You’ve earned 29756 XP! What a mighty hero you are.
Chapter 55
Huzzah! Against all odds, you have reached Level 24! You receive 3 attribute points to distribute in the next 36 hours or you lose them. Dare to believe you can survive, and achieve greatness. Or don’t.
Huzzah! Against all odds, you have reached Level 25! You receive 3 attribute points to distribute in the next 36 hours or you lose them. Dare to believe you can survive, and achieve greatness. Or don’t.
Immediately I put four points into Luck. I had to. It was the only thing I could do. And then I put one in strength, because that was what I did, and one in constitution, because I’d still been coming too close to death lately.
Rolling off the wyrm’s head, I hit the cave floor with a thud. I lay there and rested for a few minutes before I began the really unpleasant task: killing all the wyrmlings.
It took a lot longer than I’d anticipated, but once done, I thought about resting. Instead, I started skinning all the wyrmlings.
That took a lot longer than I’d anticipated. The rest of the day. And most of the night. But, by the end of it, I’d gotten a skill.
Cool beans, you’ve learned the skill Skinning. Now you can use a blade to remove the hide of an animal with minimal damage to it. +5% value to skin. +5% chance of undamaged skin.
Then, I got the specialized version of the skill, Skinning Wyrms.
Skin over a hundred and sixty five (I’d killed 112 after killing the mama, the rest were from before mama attacked, and likely any the wyrms had killed themselves) wyrms of various states, and you’ll get to about level 10 in skinning. At least, I got to level 10. And that’s when I started on the Ancient Wyrm.
A day and a half later, I had the skin. It wasn’t perfect, there were definitely a few more holes in it than should have been, but I had it. And I could roll it up and shove it in the bag. Then I knocked out her teeth and cut off her claws. I thought about taking her eyes, but I was starting to get grossed out. Plus, I’d spent enough time away from the holding, and I had quite the walk to get back.
One last thing to do in the cave: I put all the treasure, the entire wyrm’s hoard, into the bag.
You have found a quest:
For the Hoard
After killing a wyrm, you knew it left a hoard of treasure somewhere. Perhaps in the cave where you first met the beast. Retrieve the treasure and refill your loot.
Reward for success: Treasure
Penalty for failure (or refusal): None
Yes/No
It took a long time. There was a ton of stuff there. Literally. Gold coins, a lot from the Empire this time. Silver coins. Chalices. Mirrors. Art. Weapons. Shields. Armor. Most of the armor was damaged, but, you know, I figured we could melt it down or something. There were chests full of bizarre things I couldn’t name, and a bunch of books. Grimoires, spellbooks, and otherwise. There was even a table, and all the trappings thereof. It was in the back of a broken wagon. I even broke the wagon down and took it. Mainly because we needed the nails. But once it was in pieces, it seemed silly to leave the wood behind. That took another day.
Outside the cave, it was dark. I was tired, but still, it was time. I started. And I noticed that my poison immunity had gone. Typhon had chosen a new companion for me. That meant any monsters I saw I had to let live until I’d made sure they weren’t my new buddy. It was turning out to be quite a stupid night.
I heard the snapping of branches.
Dropping into a crouch, I pulled out a shiny new shield I’d liberated and put it in front of me.
A deer sprang into view, stopping to looked at me.
I stood up straight.
It bounced away with a quickness.
I shook my head, and started the hike.
I walked through the night, took a brief nap during the day, then resumed my walk.
It took quite some time, multiple days, before I got to the river. But there I was greeted by a welcome sight. There was a bridge across the river, and, in the mountainside, a tunnel. Wide. Welcoming. Perfectly flat inside. It was beautiful. And there was the start of a road going along the western bank of the river, leading south towards the main road and the farms.
The trip through the tunnel was rather dark, and I had the feeling we’d need to do something about that in the near future. Too easy for nasty things to hide in the tunnel if we left it as it was.
On the far end of the tunnel, there was a small gap, then a big gate. The wall wasn’t quite built yet, but someone called out for me to stop.
“State your business,” came the cry.
“Coming home,” I replied.
I saw a face peek over the wall, and I waved. It was one of the battenti.
“Oh,” he said. “’Tis you. Might as well come around the gate, then. Not workin’ yet.”
I smiled, and walked around the gate.
The town looked mostly the same. A bit more polished. There was an additional building, something that looked very much like the barn, but with smaller doors. My guess was a storehouse. My people were busy working, small projects here and there. A well was being dug, skins were being cleaned, meat was being smoked. There was a spot where the felled trees were being debarked and cut into lumber. It was a proper little town.
Chapter 56
Nikolai walked out of the barn carrying a bucket of milk. He stopped, and set the bucket down. Immediately, someone else picked it up and took it into the longhouse. Nikolai walked over to me.
“You have returned,” he said, looking me up and down.
“That I did.”
“You were gone longer than I thought you might be.”
“It was further than I thought, and—”
“Fritz?”
“He, uh, didn’t make it.”
“Oh?”
“He sacrificed himself so I could win the fight.”
Nikolai shook his head, but I saw a hint of a smile there.
“Your hirð is quite angry with you. They feel you left them behind on purpose.”
“I did. Someone had to stay and guard this place. Did they?”
“Stay? Yes. And guarded. No others have been abducted. Nor have we sighted any of those goblins. But that is something we must discuss.”
“I know, just—”
“Was your trip a success?”
“Yes.”
I reached into the bag and thought about Imperial coins. I felt leather in my hand, and pulled forth a very heavy pouch.
“Here’s one of many,” I said, shoving it into his hands.
There was quite obvious relief on his face.
“We will send out a merchant today,” he said.
“Nice job on the tunnel, by the way,” I replied.
“It is all due to Essie and Mercy.”
“Good investment, I think.”
“Yes. Also, there is someone here to see you.”
“Shit, Northwoods?”
“Yes.”
“Ah crap.”
“She approaches behind you,” Nikolai said, hiding a smirk. “Perhaps you should limit what you say.”
I turned, and saw Eliza Northwoods striding through the camp. Despite the rather austere living conditions, she managed to look flawless. Her hair was perfect, her skin clean, her eyes clear. She smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.
“Duke Coggeshall,” she said with a slight curtsy. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance again.”
“And you,” I said. “As well. Or, uh. It is nice to, I’m going to shut up now.”
“Excellent job, your highness,” Nikolai said softly.
/>
I glared at him.
Eliza Northwoods just smiled.
“I am quite excited to be here,” she said. “I have never seen something like this before. Bringing forth a city from out of the wilderness.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“My father mentioned to me that you might not be familiar with the governance of a holding. Is that true?”
“Very.”
“Have you claimed this land?”
“Uh—”
“He has not,” Nikolai answered for me.
“Do you know the ritual for that?” she asked.
I shook my head, and to my surprise, Nikolai did likewise.
“It is quite simple. Would you like me to perform it with you?”
“How about you walk us through it,” Nikolai offered in return, “and then we will do it?”
She smiled at the slight, and nodded. “Of course. I meant nothing by saying I would participate in the ritual. You need a dagger, or a blade of some kind, a flag post or pole, and a patch of ground.”
I looked around the area, and picked out a spot in front of the longhouse. Sure, putting a flag there would make it look like a trumped up summer camp bunk house, but it was the only good spot for a flag.
“Does the flag matter?” I asked.
“It is more the act of putting something into the ground,” Eliza replied. “It is symbolic really. Once you have completed the ritual, you can remove the flag if you like.”
I pulled a spear from the bag of holding, and held it up.
“Blade and pole ready,” I said.
Again a smile. She was definitely a smiler. I wasn’t complaining — she had a great smile. I shook my head and focused back on the task at hand.
“Cut your hand,” she said, “or rather, anywhere you’d prefer. Let the blood fall upon the ground, and then plant your flag pole, or spear in this case, in the blood. Then, you will be given the prompt to claim this land.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I replied, and promptly cut along my forearm.
Nikolai opened his mouth, seeming like he was going to say something, but then he frowned.
I let the blood drop onto the ground, and then I jammed the spear down into the earth through the blood.
You seek to claim this land. Do you claim this as a holding, an estate, a town, a barony, a county, or a dukedom?
Seemed like an odd question. I was a duke. So I claimed the dukedom.
The Dukedom of Coggeshall has been claimed by Montana, the Duke of Coggeshall.
“Done,” I said.
“You have claimed the holding?” she asked.
“No,” I said, looking from her to Nikolai. “I claimed the dukedom.”
The blood drained from her face.
“Oh, no,” she said. “That was unwise.”
Part Five
Dukes and Ladders
I turned, and saw Eliza Northwoods striding through the camp. Despite the rather austere living conditions, she managed to look flawless. Her hair was perfect, her skin clean, her eyes clear. She smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.
“Duke Coggeshall,” she said with a slight curtsy. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance again.”
“And you,” I said. “As well. Or, uh. It is nice to, I’m going to shut up now.”
“Excellent job, your highness,” Nikolai said softly.
I glared at him.
Eliza Northwoods just smiled.
“I am quite excited to be here,” she said. “I have never seen something like this before. Bringing forth a city from out of the wilderness.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“My father mentioned to me that you might not be familiar with the governance of a holding. Is that true?”
“Very.”
“Have you claimed this land?”
“Uh—”
“He has not,” Nikolai answered for me.
“Do you know the ritual for that?” she asked.
I shook my head, and to my surprise, Nikolai did likewise. I looked over at Nikolai with an eyebrow raised.
“Land usage has never really been within my purview,” he said.
“It is quite simple,” Eliza interjected with a big smile. “Would you like me to perform it with you?”
“How about you walk us through it,” Nikolai offered in return, “and then we do it? Or, he does it.”
She smiled at the slight, and nodded. “Of course. I meant nothing by saying I would participate in the ritual. You need a dagger, or a blade of some kind, a flag post or pole, and a patch of ground.”
I looked around the area, and picked out a spot in front of the longhouse. Sure, putting a flag there would make it look like a trumped up summer camp bunk house, but it was the only good spot for a flag.
“Does the flag matter?” I asked.
“It is more the act of putting something into the ground,” Eliza replied. “It is symbolic really. Once you have completed the ritual, you can remove the flag if you like.”
I pulled a spear from the bag of holding, and held it up.
“Blade and pole ready,” I said. “Is the flag important?”
“The fabric?”
“Yeah, I don’t really have a flag. Yet.”
Again a smile. She was definitely a smiler. I wasn’t complaining — she had a great smile.
“As far as I know, it might as well be a stick,” she said. “Most nobles engage in quite the ceremony for something like this, so it could be quite simple and still work. I just lack complete confidence—”
“I’m a simple guy,” I said, “let’s give it a try.”
Inwardly, I groaned. It sounded so bad. Outwardly, Nikolai groaned. Eliza pretended not to notice.
“Cut your hand,” she said, “or anywhere you prefer. Let the blood fall upon the ground, and then plant your flag pole, or spear in this case, within the blood. You should be given the prompt to claim this land.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I replied, and promptly cut along my forearm.
Nikolai opened his mouth, seeming like he was going to say something, but then he frowned.
I let the blood drop onto the ground, and then I jammed the spear down into the earth through the blood.
You seek to claim this land. Do you claim this as a holding, an estate, a town, a barony, a county, or a dukedom?
Seemed like an odd question. I was a duke. So I claimed the dukedom.
The Dukedom of Coggeshall has been claimed by Montana, the Duke of Coggeshall.
“Done,” I said.
“You have claimed the holding?” she asked.
“No,” I said, looking from her to Nikolai. “I claimed the dukedom.”
The blood drained from her face.
“Oh, no,” she said. “That was unwise.”
I blinked a few times as I tried to parse out what she was saying, and, because I could, resorted to staring at her.
Nikolai did the same.
“How unwise?” I asked.
Eliza looked to Nikolai and then to me.
“Oh, um,” she stammered, trying to pull her words together, “I believe quite.”
Nikolai started to draw his blade, but before he could get it up, I grabbed his hand. I felt him relax immediately, which gave me the feeling what he’d done was an act.
“What is the issue?” I asked.
“The dukedom, I assume, is rather large.”
“Sure.”
“Therein lies the problem.”
“Okay, not getting it. Why is that a problem? And what level of problem are we talking about?”
“The size of the land you claim — it has to do with uh, your followers.”
“What’s wrong with my followers?”
“Is it right to assume you know nothing about what you have done?”
“Almost always assume that,” Nikolai snapped. “But in this regard, I know little about what it is he has done either so please explain things. And quickly.”
>
Eliza nodded, looking thoughtful, like she was trying to figure out how to talk me through whatever mess this was.
“Initially,” she started, “I believe you will encounter your first major problem to be one of followers. And the number of followers you have versus non-followers in your realm.”
“That’s the first problem?” I asked.
“That is my guess, yes.”
“Doesn’t seem that insurmountable. I’m guessing it’s something along the lines of you need to have more of your followers than, uh, not-your-followers in your claimed lands.”
“Correct.”
“Okay, so not a big deal.”
“It may be,” Eliza countered. “It all depends on the space your dukedom takes up. And who has chosen to live there already.”
“Like those fucking goblins,” I said, muttering. I looked over at Nikolai. “Any sign of them?”
“Not as of yet, my lord.”
“Goblins?” Eliza said. “There are goblins nearby?”
“There are,” I said. “I don’t exactly know how many there are, or how near, but—”
Eliza’s eyes widened, and she looked around at what we’d built. Or, rather, what my followers had built while I’d been out snagging treasure.
At first glance, sure, it looked like the start to a proper little town. Emphasis on the little. But our long house had a cloth roof, and none of the lumber in the house’s walls exactly matched. The building that looked like a barn was a little better, but not by much. It at least had a wooden roof on it, and a stone foundation, so would likely survive a lot longer than the longhouse, which I guessed was going to be somewhat-almost-fine. Unless any rain fell. The gate looked impressive, with bulky granite blocks forming sturdy walls around a very, very thick wooden door. Minor issue, though: the wall, at present, could just be walked around with no problems. It was only about 80 yards long. That was it as far as actual structures went.
