Warfang: (Sky Realms Online Book 5): A LitRPG Series

by Troy Osgood

  The waterfall came out of the side of the mountain, disappearing into the trees outside Hall’s view. He could hear the roar of the falls as they crashed into the plateau, becoming a small river that led into the pond around the Branch, continuing to the edge of the plateau to become another set of falls that would hit the Breakridge Meadow in a small pond, leaving as a wider river and ending at the larger pond huddled at the base of the ridge that gave the area its name.

  The nearest he could tell, Hall had been in the cave for two or three hours. He needed to get back to Skara Brae. Night was still a couple of hours off, but it was a couple of miles’ walk across the meadow to the village, and there was a council meeting.

  He didn’t want to miss that. He did, but Timmin, the village’s administrator, would never let him hear the end of it.

  The Breakridge, Frost Tips, and Thunder Growls to the south and the sky of Hankarth to the west were the borders that formed Hall’s little land. As the lord of Skara Brae, he was essentially in control of it all. Something that Hall, even after months, was still not comfortable with.

  He took a step toward the trees, stopping as a large shadow moved just within the woods. It moved slowly, almost dragging itself across the ground.

  A Shambler.

  It easily stood nine feet tall, almost six feet across. A giant mass of roots, vines and moss. The protectors of the Grove. The originals had been corrupted by Vertoyi, destroyed when the corruption ended. Leigh had managed to create six of the larger ones, a dozen of the smaller.

  Even though he knew it wouldn’t attack him, Hall waited until the Shambler had walked past before he stepped into the forest. He could hear the noise it made as it moved through the trees. A shuffle followed by a thump of the heavy feet coming down.

  There was another off to his right.

  Hall picked up his pace.

  The grass of the meadow was tall, reaching up to Hall’s knees. It moved, bending in the ever-present wind that blew across the meadow, coming in from the blue sky of Hankarth. The wind moved across the grass, hitting the high ridge and bouncing back over the land. It created strange currents that made it difficult to land an airship.

  It made it hard for birds to fly over the meadow as well, but the two dragonhawks circling high above had learned to compensate for it. Hall could see the two swirling around each other, diving and rising. Not fighting and not playing. The dragonhawks were training. Pike, a streak of green, curved around Talon, their screeches echoing across the meadow. Talon recovered quickly, turning sharply and diving after Pike.

  Pike was younger, more agile, but Talon was smarter.

  Dragonhawks were the trained pets of Skirmishers, working in tandem with their partners. Hall could feel Pike’s joy and excitement through the bond. He was tempted to activate Shared Vision and see the world as Pike did, but decided to let the dragonhawk enjoy the time. Much like how Pike was receiving training from Talon, Hall was receiving training from Talon’s partner, the higher-level Brandif.

  Something else that Hall had to check off his list. Brandif had wanted to get in some sparring with the spears that afternoon, or early morning the next day, before he and Garrick, along with Bradberry and Scarlis, headed out into the mountains again.

  There was always something to do.

  He slowed his walk, letting his hand brush against some taller grass.

  It was peaceful out in the meadow.

  Here, he could forget about everything else, just enjoy the quiet. The land wasn’t flat; there were numerous streams hidden by the grass, large rocks and small gullies. He had to pay attention as he walked, but it still allowed him to just relax. Besides finishing up the rebuilding of Skara Brae, providing the citizens a place to live and grow, there were issues in the wider world that Hall had found himself pulled into.

  He didn’t want to be, Skara Brae was enough, but somehow he was involved.

  The Desmarik Republic, invaders from far to the east, had infiltrated the floating islands of Hankarth. Hall and his guildmates, the Breakridge Irregulars, had stopped the Desmarik from setting up an outpost in the old Dwarven clanhold of Greenfire Depths, but they had learned there were more Desmarik already in the islands.

  There were the Norns of the Cerulean Regency and the Champions. He had no idea who the Champions were, but somehow he and Roxhard were involved.

  While in Greenfire Depths, they had somewhat rescued a fairy. Tulla was imprisoned within a cage hanging from a staff. Still trapped in the cage, but freed from being a slave of the Desmarik, Hall had promised Tulla that he would do what he could to free her from the cage.

  For everything he took off his mental to-do list, it seemed two more were added.

  Hall sighed.

  He wasn’t usually this contemplative. Ever since waking up in Sky Realms Online after the Glitch, the still-unknown event that had trapped him in the game, Hall had been living the life of an adventurer. Danger, action. It was the time between that started to drag on him, when he started to wonder if he should give up the lordship of Skara Brae to someone who would remain in the village all the time. There were numerous worthy citizens now. Almost any of them would probably be a better lord for the village.

  But Hall had accepted responsibility for the village, and he was not one to give that up. Back in the real world, he had never been anything special. Just an ordinary person going about his day, but in Sky Realms Online, he was someone special.

  He was reluctant to give that up, even if it might be the right thing to do.

  He had thought about just staying in the village and living life there, but the call of adventure was too great. He needed to be out in the world, exploring. Never a thrill seeker, he was still surprised at how much he needed that life now. It was dangerous; he could die just like the NPCs that populated the world. He wouldn’t respawn now, not like the game pre-Glitch. Even knowing that, he still wanted to be out there.

  The grass-covered roofs of the village came into view. Low mounds against the horizon. The village of Skara Brae was dug into the ground of the meadow, only the roofs above the meadow. Grass grew over the sloped surfaces, the sides and the rears, the fronts all wood and exposed to the round street that ringed the small village. The central ring was similar, facing out into the street, but the roofs of those all came together to form a kind of wide path over the middle of the city, continuing at the ends, connecting to the meadow. Tunnels were carved into those points in the road below. Being below the ground protected the village from the wind.

  Hall was curious what it would mean when the colder weather of fall and winter came, which was not that far off. Would the ground provide insulation from the harsh weather of Edin, the island that Skara Brae was on? He thought about the snow gathering in the road and how they would manage to remove it.

  How many shovels did they currently have?

  Would snow even be an issue?

  Pre-Glitch, weather had been mostly cosmetic.

  He’d been in enough storms now to know weather was no longer just cosmetic. But how severe would the winters truly be?

  Something else to add to the list. Leigh was from Edin, a small village on the eastern side called Cliff Fields. She would know what to expect and what they needed to prepare.

  The roofs of the village grew bigger as he got closer, becoming taller than he was. Hall walked between two, heading down the stone steps that led to the road below. Grass roofs were replaced by the stone walls of the houses on either side. The fronts of all the buildings were made of wood; the sides that were against the dirt of the meadow were tightly fitting stone blocks. Whoever had made the village had done a masterful job.

  It had lain empty for a very long time, only the wooden front walls and inner walls suffering during that time.

  Hall didn’t know much about the village. Nothing about its history. Who had built it and why. He was curious. It was in a strange location, the middle of the meadow surrounded by mountains and hidden behind the ridge. As out of
the way as possible. Weeks of travel from the nearest large city, Silverpeak Keep or Auld. A good week from the home of the Brownpaw Firbolg. The Valedale Gnomes of Greenheight Vale, the small forest to the south sheltered by the Thunder Growls, were the only real neighbors. There weren’t even any natural resources for the village to trade.

  There was no logical reason for the village to be there, yet it was.

  Hall had originally thought the village had been built to support the Druids’ Grove, but that had made no sense. No Grove anywhere in all the islands was near a village of any size. They were hidden in the wilds, for their protection.

  It was another mystery to add to the list.

  Feet stepping off the stone steps and onto the hard-packed dirt of the road, Hall turned right. Just to the side of the tunnel was the town hall, a large two-story building with a wider area in front for gatherings. Aside from the three-story inn, the town hall was the largest building in the village. It was where Timmin had his offices and where the council met.

  There were people on the street, not many. There were still only a couple of dozen citizens, but it seemed like more and more arrived every day. Hall could remember, really not that long ago, when it was just the four who had found the village.

  Himself, Roxhard, Sabine and Leigh. It had grown from there. Rapidly.

  He waved at the citizens as he walked, getting greetings in return. No “milords,” which was just the way he wanted it.

  Chapter 2

  “Milord,” the sharp voice of Timmin said, forcing Hall to focus on the administrator, “are you listening?”

  Hall tried to make it appear as if he were. A glance down the table showed he hadn’t succeeded. He sat at the head of the table, facing the door that entered the town hall. Along one side was Brient, the town sheriff, and Dinah, who was in charge of the farm and ranch. Down the other was the Bodin Duncant, looking small compared to the humans around him. Next to the Carpenter was the newest councilor, Mulah. The elderly woman was from the Jaden Empire, a former slave and prisoner of the Desmarik Republic who had been rescued from Greenfire Depths. Facing Hall at the other end was Timmin, who was scowling.

  The others were trying to hide their smiles.

  Picking up the papers in front of him, Timmin made a show of reorganizing them and pounding them tight together before he continued speaking. The man was always irritated, but Hall knew he enjoyed the work he was doing in Skara Brae, a place where he was truly appreciated.

  “As I was saying, work is almost complete on the village itself,” Timmin said with a glance to Duncant.

  “Yes,” the Carpenter said, nodding his head. “The last house should be finished in the next couple of days. After that it’s just furniture that will be needed.”

  Hall pulled up the Settlement Interface, moving over to the construction tab.

  Watchtower Level One 10%

  House Level One 90%

  Smithy Level One 75%

  What had once been a long list of over a dozen structures was down to just three. All the other buildings, now at 100% complete status, had moved over to a different tab. It had appeared after the first building had reached 100%. Called Maintenance, it was where Hall could view how each of the many structures in the small village was doing overall. He hadn’t spent that much time in the Maintenance section yet.

  With the treasure they had brought back from Greenfire Depths, along with the people, it had greatly increased the production of Duncant and his helpers. What had been slow improvements in the village became very rapid, now nearing completion.

  “We can now look at upgrading some of our buildings,” Timmin said. “Or adding a second barn, silo and storehouse. Which should be moved to the priority over the watchtower, with winter fast approaching.”

  Hall nodded, agreeing with the administrator. He did that a lot. Timmin had been wasted in his previous job in Silverpeak Keep. The man was born to run a village. Hall moved back to the Settlement Interface’s main page, which showed an overview of Skara Brae.

  Skara Brae

  Lord: Hall, Councilor

  Status: Village Level 1 53%

  Morale: Productive

  Government: Town Council

  Appointed Officials: Timmin, Administrator/Councilor

  Brient, Sheriff/Councilor

  Dinah, Councilor of Farming

  Duncant, Councilor of Trades

  Mulah, Councilor

  Population: 41

  Production: Alchemy Rank Two – 75%

  Carpentry Rank Three – 27%

  Farming Rank Two – 95%

  Ranching Rank Two – 30%

  Smithing Rank Two – 63%

  Tailoring Rank Two – 45%

  Faction: Breakridge Irregulars

  Allies:Gnomes of Valedale

  Brownpaw of Fallen Green

  Stonefire Clan of Axestorm Hall

  Trade Partners: Stonefire Clan of Axestorm Hall

  Battleforge Clan of Axestorm Hall

  Enemies:Stonesky Trow

  Blackgrowl Caste of the Desmarik Republic

  There were no true gods in Hankarth, but Hall thanked the many Spirits for finding the dozen Jaden and Cuthers prisoners they had rescued. Together, along with the three Brownpaw Firbolgs that had come to join the village, Skara Brae was truly becoming a village. There were enough tradesmen now that a barter system was put into place, and a merchants’ guild, reluctantly headed by Duncant, had been formed.

  Hall glanced at the small Bodin, who looked uncomfortable. Duncant was always uncomfortable in these meetings, completely out of place. At the time the council had been formed, Duncant was the only one in the village with a trade. That was no longer the case, and maybe it was time to replace the Bodin, which would make Duncant happy.

  But who?

  Tunwell the smith? Scarlis the Alchemist? The tailor from Cuthers, Jessit? Or the merchant from the Jaden Empire, Juong? The last two were the most qualified but also the newest citizens. How would that sit with the older citizens? Would they care? It would go a long way to helping the citizens from Cuthers and Jaden to become fully integrated into Skara Brae. Make them feel like true citizens.

  In all ways they were treated as such, but for most of them, they hadn’t fully accepted it themselves. They had all accepted the invite from Hall to become citizens, getting the perks associated with that, as few as there were currently. But it was more of an emotional connection that was lacking.

  All had come back to Skara Brae with Hall because the Desmarik Republic was infiltrating Hankarth. They wanted to fight back. They had yet to accept that they were never going home.

  Hall wanted to help them, but wasn’t sure how.

  “The farms are producing well now,” Dinah said, bringing Hall back to the meeting. “The extra help has really increased production.”

  She spoke with more confidence now. Before, Dinah had been shy, hesitant to talk, especially in the overwhelming presence of Timmin. Another councilor who had been chosen because there hadn’t been another choice. Unlike Duncant, Dinah was growing into the role. Before it had just been her and her daughter, Hitchly, with the occasional help from the Dwarven airship crew or the Breakridge Irregulars when any were able to help in the fields. But now there were true farmhands.

  Close to fifty mouths did not require that much food, especially as it was supplemented with meat from the plains beyond Breakridge. The village had hunters now, out gathering meat.

  So much had changed in such a short amount of time.

  “We should have plenty stored away for the winter.” She finished her report, glancing at Brient next to her.

  The former Peakguard from Silverpeak Keep cleared his throat and shrugged. “Nothing much changed from the last meeting,” he said. “Not much in the way of trouble. We’ve added Greenheight Vale to the patrol, as the Gnomes had reported seeing some Goblin signs at the far southern end of the forest.” He lifted his hand in the air, stopping any questions. “The forester from Cuth
ers, Aidan, is out there right now scouting. He should be back in a day or two with more information.”

  Brient leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Not that I want goblins in the area, but come snowfall, hunting down the things will give the folks something to do instead of cause trouble.”

  Aside from Brient, there were only four other official guards in town. All were relative newcomers to the village. Akun, Marito and Aidan had been freed from the Desmarik. Borklyn was one of the Firbolgs who had come to the village. Tobias, another from Cuthers, helped out with the patrols as well as in the fields and wherever else he could.

  The man had lost an arm in the final battle with Borsark and the demon Sashinde. He was as capable as any other in the village but was still working to find where he truly fit.

  “Is there any new business?” Timmin asked after Brient had fallen silent, indicating the sheriff had nothing else to say.

  The administrator’s sharp eyes looked at the others, stopping on Hall, who sat up straighter.

  “If that’s it,” Hall said, “let’s call it a night.”

  He felt he should have a gavel or something to bang on the table to make it official; instead he just stood up, the others following. They all started making their way to the door except for Timmin, who swung around the table to go to his now much larger but still covered in paper desk near the back of the room. Hall waited a second for Timmin to say something else. Usually he had something else to add after the meeting was officially over, but not this time.

  Shrugging, glad there was nothing else, Hall headed for the doors.

  Brient met him just outside.

  “Got some time,” the sheriff asked.

  “Yeah,” Hall replied as Brient fell into step with him. “Nothing bad, I hope?”

  “No. It makes sense to prioritize food and storage over the watchtower,” Brient said, pausing.

  “But?” Hall prompted.