by Noah Layton
‘Less than two miles,’ Werger called back.
I took a deep breath to settle myself as we moved into enemy territory and rode steadily through the last leg of our journey.
The forest stretched on deeply and densely until the familiar thinning around occupied areas began, and the fence came into view.
‘Welcome to the Gaalus Tribe. You will have to excuse the fence, it is still under construction. My people can be… Lazy shall we say, but I have managed to turn things around recently. It should be completed in the next few days.’
I didn’t respond, not yet anyway. I had no interest in giving away anything. I was glad that the fence hadn’t been completed yet; it meant that Lara and I had a way out in the event that things went awry.
Werger and his companion reached the perimeter line ahead of us and moved onto his tribal land, while we remained our constant twenty yards behind.
‘He’s got people, he’s got land, and he’s probably been out here longer than I have,’ I said. ‘Why the hell isn’t the perimeter fence finished yet?’
‘Perhaps they have other priorities… Or he has some other method of protection.’
‘Guess we’ll just have to find out. Listen to me, if we even get a whiff that we’re in danger once we get inside, we get out of here immediately.’
‘Making a run for it would no doubt mean they would find their way back to our land. What if they possess fighting numbers?’
‘I’m just going to have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s go.’
We dismounted our horses and hitched them to a tree nearby.
I kept one hand on the handle of my sword while Lara’s bow at her side. We moved at a snail’s pace as we crossed the perimeter and got a look at his land.
I scanned the place as quickly as I could for everything; buildings, populations numbers, potential threats – and what I found wasn’t what I was expecting.
The large tree situated at the centre of the land was almost identical to my own, but in the overcast sky its wood had taken on a darker sheen. Despite this, its leaves and branches still flourished with green and brown shades.
The same couldn’t be said for the land itself. In sharp contrast to the bright colors of my own, the ground here was composed of dried, cracked dirt interspersed with patches of yellowed, dying grass.
There were only two houses on the land – one situated next to the tree, and another to our left at the edge of the land. Outside of the front door of the second house, a large, burly man was seated. He waved across to Werger, who waved back to him.
The last thing to speak of was a structure at the opposite side of the land to where we were. It was a small, harsh building composed of brick and metal, with the occasional wooden beam supporting the entrance which descended sharply into the ground.
From where I was stood it seemed as if nobody was working within or around it.
‘Welcome, welcome,’ Werger said. ‘As I mentioned, I have no intention of harming you. Having our tribes in conflict is the last thing on my mind.’
‘How do I know I can trust anything you say?’
‘You can’t,’ he said simply. ‘And vice versa. But we are here now, so let me show you around. And please, feel free to keep your weapons drawn if it would put your minds at ease.’
‘Don’t mind if I do.’
Lara shot me a smile and a wink, pulling an arrow into the string of her bow. I drew my sword.
‘My home is right over there, as well as the two houses nearby. And over there-’ Werger pointed to the metal structure on the other side of the land. ‘-is the mine.’
‘So that’s how you make your coin,’ I remarked. ‘Where are all of your citizens?’
‘I have three guards that occupy the house near my home over there, my imp, Nyah, who is… In the forest somewhere. I’m not quite sure. I don’t like having her on the land. And, of course, my beautiful wives.'
We approached the guardhouse and the central tree.
‘Jork, Clay, get the fuck out here! We have guests!’
A moment later two men emerged in their undergarments with random pieces of armor attached to their bodies, as if they had thrown them on randomly.
One was tall and fat, the other much shorter – and in an instant the trio was complete.
The shorter one looked dazed as he stared up at me. Suddenly his eyes went wide, then his eyebrows narrowed and the nostrils of his bandaged nose flared.
‘You,’ he snarled. ‘Boss, do you know what this motherfucker did to me?’
‘I have already informed our master of the situation,’ the taller guard said from Werger’s side, looking over at me. ‘And I have clarified that it was all a very unfortunate misunderstanding.’
Clay, the shorter guard, may have thought that he was the smartest of the three guards, but that was far from the truth.
‘I don’t give a shit about what you call it! Me and this asshole are gonna fight it out right here!’
‘Cut the bullshit!’ Werger yelled sharply. Clay had gone to take a step forward but now halted, looking up at his boss. ‘These are our guests, Clay. We will treat them with respect.’
Swallowing his pride, Clay grunted and nodded, then lowered his head.
‘So these are the guys who do the mining for you?’ I continued, keeping one eye on Clay.
‘Sometimes. Usually I just hire folks who aren’t tribed up to do the dirty work. They get paid, I get the ores, everybody wins.’
‘From Grayholde, right?’
‘From what?’
‘Grayholde. I heard that a lot of the miners there are looking for other work. Must be a steal hiring them from there, huh?’
‘Oh, yeah, yes, exactly,’ he grinned widely. ‘Exactly. Plenty of cheap labour.’
‘You let them stay in that other house over there?’ I nodded to the house with the large man sat outside.
‘What? Oh, no. They usually head home for the day. That’s just there for when I finally acquire some citizens to share my land. Tobias over there just… Looks after that house. I like to be prepared, you know?’
‘I understand,’ I said simply. He had an answer for everything, but something really didn’t feel right.
Maybe I was just being paranoid.
‘Now,’ he continued. ‘Let me introduce you to my dears! Where are my beautiful, sexy wives?’
Werger bellowed the words unashamedly up to the tree with his hands cupped around his mouth.
Just when I thought I could respect this guy in some tiny freaking way, he found a way to sink to new lows.
The door to the treehouse creaked open, and two young women appeared. They were a similar age to my own wives, but there was something seriously unhealthy about their appearances.
In any other scenario they would be beautiful – tall, slim, curves in the right places, but their pale faces and the dark bags under their eyes spoke for themselves.
One was an elf, standing tall with a purple tinge to her skin, and the other was a human.
‘Come down here to me, my beauties.’
Every word out of the guys mouth made me want to crawl inside of myself and die.
‘Come down here to me, don’t be shy.’
The girls were a walking contradiction. On the one hand they seemed pretty insistent on moving towards their master, but on the other hand there was a wariness, an apprehension in their dark, tired eyes.
I had to remind myself to keep my sword by my side.
‘These two lovely ladies are Katya and Maria.’
‘Hello,’ they both smiled simply.
‘Pleasure to meet you,’ I replied.
He hopped off his horse and head to them, then wrapped his arms around them both like some wannabe pimp.
‘Master,’ the elf said in a hushed tone, whispering into his ear. ‘When can we get some more moonrise?’
Lara exhaled sharply from my side, loud enough for me to hear but quiet enough to be missed by Werger and his gua
rds.
‘Later. We have guests.’
‘But I need it.’
‘Me too, master,’ the human wife crowed. ‘It’s been days...’
‘It’s been hours, but you two are so fucking impatient.’ Werger turned to me and laughed in an exaggerated fashion. ‘Fine. Clay, Jork, give the girls what they want. I’m sure they’ll give you what you want in return.’
The two guards that had emerged from the house welcomed the girls with open arms. The wives continued in their paradoxical state, happy to get this moonrise-thing but not about sharing their time with the guards.
After they headed inside, Lara and I were once again alone with Werger and Tarek.
‘They’re just placeholders for the time being,’ Werger said hurriedly. ‘Just until I can get better ones.’
‘The guards, you mean?’
‘No, the women. A pair of addicts I picked up from a trading post in the north. Families wanted to marry them off cheap, so I did them a favour. I’m making a deal in the future that will secure a lot more wealth for my tribe. Once that takes place I’ll be able to acquire some much more... High quality women.’
I heard wood creak from my side. Lara’s hand had tightened so hard around her bow that I could actually hear it.
The only way I wasn’t raising my sword was by converting the energy into my jaw. My teeth were clenching so hard it felt like they would break.
Acquire? Who the fuck was this guy? The numbers in his tribe might have been small, but the members he did have he spoke about like possessions, especially his wives.
All I could do was change the topic of conversation.
‘What kind of deal is that? The one that will make your tribe richer, I mean.’
Werger chuckled. ‘I can’t tell you any precise details. I imagine that you know how it is in this world. Knowledge is often more powerful than a weapon, depending on the man holding either of those things. But… Why don’t you let me show you?’
We crossed to the other side of the land at a leisurely pace. I kept my eyes open at all times, as did Lara, but there were no signs of any threats around us – no traps, no hidden figures, nothing.
Still, there wasn’t a chance that I was going to trust this guy.
Reaching the other side of the land, we arrived at the entrance to the mine.
‘Watch your footing here,’ Werger warned, holding a hand to slow me as we approached.
The mine shaft descended vertically into the darkness below. I couldn’t see a thing past a few yards beyond a ladder that offered passage down there.
‘Care to take a look?’ He offered.
I looked over my shoulder. Only the four of stood at the entrance to the mine; Werger, Tarek, Lara and myself.
‘Keep a look out,’ I said to Lara. ‘Shout me if you need anything.’
‘I’m sure that will not be necessary,’ Werger said. ‘Tarek, give our guest anything she needs while Master Jack and I take a little trip below ground.’
Tarek nodded in acknowledgement.
‘After you.’ Werger held out a hand, beckoning me to start moving.
‘I think you can lead, and I’ll follow,’ I replied. There was no way that I was going to turn my back to this guy.
‘Very well.’
I gave one last nod to Lara, then followed Werger down the ladder and into the depths of the mine.
Darkness enshrouded us quickly. The ladder was stable, but my awareness of my surroundings was not.
I estimated that we had descended thirty yards before my feet finally touched down.
Rapidly I reached into my inventory and produced a torch, but Werger beat me to it.
‘Feel free to light your own,’ he said. ‘This place is rather large.’
I did, and after following him down a short tunnel we emerged into a large cavern. Patches had been mined from the walls everywhere, but many glistening pockets remained.
‘We have worn the land down so much with our mining for precious ores that it has destroyed any hope of growing crops from the land.’
‘Is that how it works here?’
‘Yes. The more you use the resources below, the more the ones above suffer. As above, so below.’
Another rule of Agraria that I made a mental note of.
‘So this is your trade. Ores.’
‘Indeed. Are you familiar with mining?’
‘A little.’
‘Mm. Well, some ores are worth more than others, like many things in this world. All I’ll say is that I am acquiring something precious, and I have a buyer who wishes to acquire a considerable amount of it from me. Like I said, I’ll keep the details vague, if you don’t mind. Secrets of the trade and so forth. I’m sure you feel the same way about your little crop cultivation-thing.’
Every time this asshole managed to claw his way back into my good-books, he managed to jump three steps down.
‘My little crop cultivation-thing feeds my tribe and affords us a living. And it keeps the land alive. I come from a place where crops take months to grow and where the land has been exhausted of energy by constant use. Out here the land can be used as much as people want, and crops are produced faster than I could have ever thought possible.’
‘Hey, I’m not judging,’ Werger said, holding up his hands faux-earnestly. ‘I’m just saying that you might want to consider a small mining operation in the future. Mining may harm the land but the coin it brings in is incomparable. I had some crops when I first started but now my only interest is in ores. There’s less of it, and like all things that makes it more valuable.’
‘What will you do with the gold?’
‘Acquire more security, and some prettier wives, as I said.’
‘That’s all?’
Werger chuckled.
‘You’re a man of ambition. That I can tell. You know, most masters would leave it at that – am I safe? Do I have enough women to fuck? But I’m like you. My interests go beyond that. I always keep an eye out for interesting things – like this, for example.’
Werger motioned in the air, trawling through his invisible inventory.
I wrapped a hand around the handle of my sword, ready to draw it.
‘Hold your water,’ Werger laughed, slowing his movements to show that he wasn’t a threat. ‘I’m just going to show you something.’
I relaxed my grip but kept my hand there.
Werger closed his inventory, and I watched as it was replaced by an item he had produced from it.
In one hand his flaming torch remained, but upon the other he had equipped a new item.
At first I thought that it was a metal glove, some kind of elaborate piece of armor, but as Werger beckoned me closer I got a chance to inspect it properly.
It was bronze and possessed mechanical elements, wrapping around his fingers. Every so often a puff of smoke would emanate from a pipe on the wrist.
‘Like it?’
‘I might if I knew what it was.’
‘I get that a lot. I purchased it from a goblin merchant north of here. Brutal Limb Breaker. Uniquely crafted, very difficult to make.’
‘The title says it all,’ I remarked. ‘You ever used it?’
‘Not on a person. Not yet, anyway. But it can snap wooden beams like they’re composed of feathers. I’d hate to see what it could do to a bone.’
I forced a smile.
‘Interesting. So you would never think about building a community here? You could help a lot of people.’
‘Let me be honest with you, Jack – do you mind if I call you Jack?’
‘Please.’
‘Well, Jack, that just doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t desire to look after others – they’re not my problem. My problem is myself, and what I have. That’s the way this world works, you know?’
‘How’s that?’
‘This world is filled with abundance, and if a man has the opportunity to take it for himself, then he should. He shouldn’t have to worry about others. Gold speaks,
and it can never be silenced. People can. Remember that.’
You’re trying to mentor me?
‘Well…’ I started, holding my tongue and twisting it until I forced some different words out. ‘Looks like you’ve got things set up pretty nice for yourself around here.’
‘You could say that.’
‘Then it begs the question - what am I doing down here? Besides being given a tour of the place, that is?’
‘Is a tour not enough?’
‘Maybe, but guys like you and me aren’t built for trust, are we?’
Werger smiled at me once again.
Even if I didn’t like the guy, he had had a million and one chances to kill me before that moment. There was something else on his mind, and in order to gain his favour I had to level with him and at least make an effort to fake some sense of cooperation.
‘You grow crops on your land?’
‘I do.’
‘Well, anything that I purchase from the trading vendors is sold at a mark-up. That’s how they make their profits of course, by offering you a lower price to purchase and selling it at a premium. Now, my operation here is small, but as I’m sure you know, feeding my people is a constant concern, and when I build the number of workers labouring in my mine, I’ll need more food. So how about we cut a deal?’
‘I’m listening.’
‘I’ll trade with you for deliveries of meat and vegetables. I’ll pay more than you’ll get at the trading posts, which makes it a good deal for both of us. And if coin isn’t to your liking, I could always supply you with ores from my mine equivalent to the market value. It’s good business for both of us. We can deal directly with each other and cut out the middle man. What do you say?’
In the dark of the mine I scanned Werger’s face. Despite his unlikeable nature and the many things I had seen within his tribe that I didn’t agree with, there was nothing underhanded about this offer.
He knew that I was a threat. He knew that my land was protected and that I had citizens who would have my back. And he was making me a real offer.
‘I’ll consider it,’ I started. ‘I think it’s in both our interests not to start any fights with each other. We both have different interests and different specialities.’
‘Why don’t we cut a deal right now, then? Get the specifics figured out.’
