by Frank Morin
Tonight she hoped everyone felt the same stirring of pride she did. They deserved so much more than a feast, but hopefully they would sense the depth of appreciation she felt for their hard work. She felt convinced the other leadership of the city shared her feelings, and that the new lord, whoever he ended up being, would quickly understand and support them.
If he didn’t, she would have to take steps.
11
Work Hard. You’ll Earn a Bigger Dinner
Connor walked with his friends toward the enormous central hall down one of the wide boulevards, paved with stone, and smiled to think how much they had accomplished. As much as the Arishat League compound had grown and developed through the winter, it paled in comparison to New Schwinkendorf.
From the air, New Schwinkendorf looked orderly and impressive, the haphazard warren of buildings of the old Builder compound replaced with a grid-like pattern of streets. Every block was bursting with magnificent new buildings. Up close, it was even more amazing.
Despite the speed of construction, the workers clearly understood that they were building something remarkable. They had expended the extra effort to ensure joints were snug, doors and windows fitted perfectly, and even added engravings or flutings in places that might not be easily noticed. Connor spotted so many examples of work elevated from mere construction to craftsmanship.
The community was rapidly growing into a city, with more people pouring in all the time. Already Jean had assigned a team to start working on additional housing neighborhoods and the supporting infrastructure those would require. Managing New Schwinkendorf was quickly becoming a full-time job for a large staff.
He glanced at Jean and felt a surge of pride for her. She’d always been the smartest person in Alasdair, but in recent months she’d proven herself exceptional among the brightest minds gathered from across the continent. She was a skilled administrator, a tender healer, and a ruthless pursuer of truth. The grace she’d exhibited dealing with her terrible injuries inspired everyone.
Seeing her walking unassisted beside Hamish, smiling without concern for her scars, and with that miraculous new summoned arm helped ease some of his lingering guilt for not doing more to heal her. He liked to think that his personal training schedule made him tough, but in her own way, Jean was tougher.
With no affinities, Jean not only oversaw most of the rebuilding effort, but she was also heavily involved in the Builder research and development programs. Then there was the Schwinkendorf Academy, which had grown to several thousand researchers, scientists, and other academics. Plus Jean still continued her personal projects researching medicine and infectious diseases with a small team of healers and Althin researchers. And she commanded an army.
It was a wonder she found any time to spend with Hamish.
If the new lord disrespected her in any way, he’d get lynched by an angry mob.
The central hall was an enormous structure that rose six stories above the street, and four more belowground. The outer walls were sheathed in polished stones of all of the major affinities, although none of the stone was power grade, as far as Connor knew. Although, come to think of it, he wouldn’t put it past Jean to find a way to include some power-grade stone in the mix, just in case they needed it. He’d have to ask Hamish to lick a few pieces later.
He doubted he could get Hamish to lick anything at the moment, though. Hamish eagerly led their small group, hand in hand with Jean, tugging her to walk faster. If not for her brace, her right leg would have buckled.
“It looks like everyone is trying to get in,” Verena said, pointing at a crowd of at least three thousand people gathered outside the doors into the main hall. The dining halls inside were probably already full. People looked willing to wait as long as needed for their turn to join the feast and learn who their new lord would be.
Verena was dressed in one of her fine gowns that reminded him that she was a Grandurian high noblewoman. He no longer felt intimidated by that, and loved how beautiful the emerald satin made her look. Despite being dressed formally, she still wore her battered leather satchel over her shoulder. Connor had offered to carry it for her, but she refused to be parted from it. He didn’t mind. Verena was even more a Builder than she was a noblewoman.
The central hall included many different rooms and functions, including a huge assembly hall in the first basement level. It also included four large dining halls that could each accommodate three hundred people. There were other dining halls scattered around the city, but for the night’s inaugural feast, everyone who wanted to was invited to dine in the main halls.
“How is everyone going to eat?” Connor asked as they neared the crowds.
Their group also included Ilse, Gisela, and several of Jean’s central team, including Artur the carpenter and Bruno the huge blacksmith. The two men dressed in fine doublets and cotton trousers, although Connor doubted many people would notice them.
Most people would be staring at Verena, Jean, or Lady Carolin who walked beside the huge Bruno. Jean wore a beautiful blue cotton dress, and she was perhaps the most popular person in New Schwinkendorf beside Verena. The elegant Lady Carolin was matron of the girls’ school in nearby Faulenrost. She walked with grace and poise, dressed in a tasteful crimson gown.
Jean said, “We planned for up to five thousand people, and the cooking and serving staffs are ready to rotate people through every thirty minutes.”
Verena looked impressed. “Coordinating that many meals that fast is as logistically challenging as planning a large-scale battle.”
Carolin chuckled. “Probably harder.”
Bruno, who’s Obrioner was improving added, “The kitchens are packed with all the latest cooking mechanicals.”
Arthur grinned. “And every other kitchen in the city is funneling their food into the back doors as well. Don’t worry, we’ll get everyone fed.”
Connor wasn’t surprised. The team had demonstrated in so many ways they were rising to the enormous challenges with exceptional skill. Jean was brilliant at picking talented people and motivating them to accomplish far more than they ever could alone. This night was as much a celebration of her team and their successes as it was anything else.
As he glanced around at the rest of the group, he realized they all had so much to celebrate. He felt incredibly lucky to associate with such amazing people. Quite often the military officers focused on Connor’s unique abilities as Blood of the Tallan. His powers would certainly play an important role in the upcoming confrontation with the queen, but he couldn’t do it alone. Together he and his friends were so much more, and that was their greatest strength.
Somehow he doubted the queen understood that concept. Good. It was one of their few advantages.
Instead of taking a side entrance reserved for special guests, Jean led the company to the main entrance where the crowds gathered. As soon as people recognized her, they took up the cry of “Lady Jean.”
They recognized Verena too and other voices shouted her name. The entire crowd surged forward, eager to greet them. Between the two of them, Verena and Jean made up the glowing heart of the new community.
They spent several minutes greeting friends in the crowd, excitedly exchanging news about their most recent breakthroughs in their many projects. Connor hung back a little, enjoying watching the girls work the crowd.
He’d been so focused on battle training and ferreting out all the deepest secrets of the arcane mysteries of the higher thresholds that he knew only a fraction of the people that his friends did. He knew even less about the specifics of the work everyone was involved in. The girls and Hamish seemed to know everyone, and they chatted excitedly with them, switching back and forth between Obrioner and Grandurian without seeming to realize they were switching languages. This was their home even more than it was Connor’s, and they loved the people and the work.
Connor decided it would be a great place to spend his life with Verena. All they had to do was survive a barking mad, super
-crazy-powerful dread queen intent on enslaving the world.
Many voices called out questions about the new lord, but Verena only shrugged and said, “We’ll all find out soon.”
Jean added, “I’m sure they’ll be wonderful.”
Most of the crowd didn’t look convinced, but none of them challenged her.
They were finally ushered through the crowd, still waving and calling to friends that they would save a special dessert for them. They were directed to the first of the four dining halls.
The kitchens took up a huge portion of the ground floor, while storerooms took up much of the rest, so the dining halls were all situated on the second floor. In the first dining hall, which was packed to overflowing with eager citizens, they found most of the leadership already assembled.
The huge room felt spacious, its vaulted hardwood ceiling supported by only twelve slender stone pillars, polished so smooth they shone. The floor was clad in dark tile with a slightly gritty finish that offered excellent footing, even when wet. The opposite wall, behind the high table, was made up of huge windows with an excellent view of the nearby city during the day. Now the views were muted by early evening.
The stone walls were draped with bright tapestries. Some displayed the flags and national seals for Granadure and all of their Arishat allies. Others depicted the best Builder mechanicals in epic detail. The one of the windrider made the ponderous transport wagons seem exciting. Connor had expected to see the crest of the new lord, but it hadn’t been raised yet. The air of mystery shrouding the appointment was getting really annoying.
The room was crowded with long tables, packed with people on benches, dressed in their finest, filling the room with a riot of color and a heady mix of perfumes. Overlaying it all was a thick scent of cooking food, wafting in through swinging doors from the serving prep rooms on two sides. Mouthwatering meats, delicious bread, and a hundred other scents tugged at Connor’s attention. He tapped quartzite to his nose and simply breathed in for a moment to savor them.
At the high table sat many of the leadership of both New Schwinkendorf and Faulenrost. Kilian and Evander sat on opposite ends. Kilian lounged in his chair, that roguish smile on his lips, already holding a glass of wine. Evander had shed his enormous leather jacket and wore an equally enormous blue doublet that seemed about to burst trying to contain his huge frame.
Aifric sat beside Kilian, looking resplendent in a gown of gold and silver, her thick hair piled in a complex pattern atop her head, leaving her graceful neck bare. Ivor was already there too, sitting next to Evander. In that position, he managed to look tiny, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was chatting with Shona, who sat on his other side, gorgeous in her house colors of blue and green. She wore her golden hair with only a single diamond-studded pin to pull it back from her face, and her hair literally glowed.
Connor suppressed a chuckle. She’d been playing with limestone again. Not that he blamed her. He spent most of his days practicing with all of his affinities. If he only had limestone, he’d play with it constantly too. Nicklaus sat near General Wolfram, dressed like a miniature nobleman, but his hair was wild, and he was bouncing eagerly on the edge of his seat. He waved mightily when he spotted them.
Other leaders at the high table included Lord Eberhard, ruler of Faulenrost, along with his wife. Lady Briet and several other Arishat officials and officers packed most of the rest of the table. They made an impressive sight.
Connor frowned as he crossed the room. He didn’t spot anyone he didn’t recognize. He’d assumed the new governor would be seated there for all to see. Apparently Lord Eberhard planned to hold the suspense until the last possible second.
Connor and his friends slipped into the remaining chairs, reserved for them. Lord Eberhard rose, and an expectant hush settled over the crowd. He smiled warmly and spoke in Grandurian, his voice magnified by a Pathfinder.
Since Connor’s Grandurian was still rough, Verena leaned close and translated. “My dear friends, this is a wonderful evening. We’ve worked so hard all these months and you have accomplished amazing things. Who would have imagined such a magnificent city could rise so quickly from the ashes of your old home? And yet here we are, better than ever, joined by so many new friends.”
That triggered a round of enthusiastic applause. He let it run for a while before continuing. “Just as importantly, we’re involved in the greatest work of our day. We are the tip of the spear. Or, more accurately, we’re building the tip of the spear.”
That generated a round of laughter. “Our research, development, schools, and Builder workshops are producing the tools that will turn the tide in these dangerous times and preserve our freedom.”
Again thunderous applause drowned him out, forcing him to wait while everyone cheered, clapping hands, banging knives on the tables, or stomping feet. Connor cheered right along with them. They had every reason to celebrate. He really liked Lord Eberhard. The man had provided incredible leadership, taking in the refugees from the old Builder compound and coordinating efforts to get production running again even while rebuilding commenced. He’d championed Jean’s efforts and supported her like his own daughter instead of a foreign commoner.
When the cheering subsided, Lord Eberhard continued. “There is much work still to be done, but I’m confident that together the people of New Schwinkendorf and the people of Faulenrost will continue to succeed. Tonight’s feast marks the official birth of this city. Such a momentous event deserves a momentous feast.”
As cheering resumed, Hamish cheered loudest of all and triggered a burst of multicolored lights from his battle suit, eliciting laughter from people all across the room. Everyone knew that he loved good food as much as he loved their precious Jean. The fact that he loved Grandurian food as much as he did his native Obrioner food pleased them that much more.
Lord Eberhard gestured for Jean to stand and said, “To explain the epic nature of the food we’ll be feasting upon, I will let our own Lady Jean share some incredible news with all of you.”
12
Well-deserved Desserts
Connor was happy Lord Eberhard was giving Jean a chance to shine before the new lord was announced. He did not even seem bemused that everyone cheered Jean even louder than they had him.
She flushed under the attention, which only made her look even more beautiful. No one seemed to care that she wore a patch over one eye, or that her face was scarred. Her golden hair was starting to regrow, but still barely reached the nape of her neck.
She raised both hands, and only then did people realize she was wearing that marvelous summoned limb. Cheers redoubled and increased yet again when she quietly hummed the hand open and made it wave. Connor doubted anyone outside of his small group understood how it was possible, but seemingly miraculous discoveries were becoming an almost daily occurrence.
Jean spoke, and Connor applied quartzite to her voice to magnify it. Hamish also pushed a small piece of quartzite onto the table. No doubt, it was paired with the stone that he had left with the crowd outside so they could hear the proceedings. Speakstones were becoming ever-present in this new city of Builders.
“New Schwinkendorf rose from the ashes of old Schwinkendorf.”
A voice from the crowd interrupted. “Only because you destroyed the elfonnel trying to kill us!”
A new cheer erupted. “Lady Jean, elfonnel’s bane!”
Jean flushed again and waved futilely for them to stop, but they kept chanting, and Connor happily joined in. He had fought elfonnel, had defeated them, and nearly been destroyed in the process. The terrifying monsters were elements come to life, raised by the mightiest Petralists, who were often consumed in the process.
Spitnail Camonica had raised a water-bound elfonnel to attack the Builder compound during the battle of Harz valley. She could’ve wiped out both the compound and Faulenrost, laid waste to the entire region, and killed everyone.
Jean had risked her life and demonstrated remarkable bravery and her nor
mal incredible brilliance by using a keystone, which was still so new at that time they barely grasped its potential. She not only managed to fly a windrider for the first time and save hundreds of trapped villagers, but also activated an enormous Last Word bomb and dropped it on the elfonnel’s head. That had stunned it long enough for Connor, Hamish, and Verena to arrive and finish it off.
When the cheering finally subsided Jean said, “Thank you, my friends. We all risk our lives every day. I’m so grateful that you took me in, and I’m proud to call myself one of you.”
The cheering resumed, and Connor felt moved by her simple yet heartfelt statement. The people all loved Lady Jean, the Hero of Schwinkendorf. He hoped the new lord was concealed among the crowd, paying attention.
They eventually quieted and she said, “If you don’t let me get more than five words in, we’ll never get to eat.”
That generated a round of laughter and a very brief bout of cheering. Hamish seemed torn between enjoying Jean’s moment in the spotlight and calling for the feasting to begin.
“As some of you know, the original town of Schwinkendorf was named in honor of the great, royal chef. He served the royal house over a hundred years ago, and some of his dishes are still enjoyed to this day. However, his greatest recipes, saved in his personal cookbook, were lost to the ages.”
Jean smiled, seeming to light up the entire room. Connor wondered if someone had tapped limestone to her face. “We have enjoyed many incredible miracles in this journey together over the last few months, but one of the latest, and one that I think you’ll agree will easily be the tastiest, was when I discovered Schwinkendorf’s famous cookbook!”
She produced from under the table a huge leather tome and turned, extending it toward Hamish. The tome was a popular local legend, but no one ever thought it would be found again.
