by Stone Thomas
“Today, however, is a day to rejoice in our strength, and not delve into vengeance. Ambry, Lily, have him removed.”
Unbelievable. I had saved Gowes from certain death. The god of wishful thinking may not believe so, he might just think this whole day was destined to be honky dory, but I risked my neck saving his minor deity ass from extinction. And this is the thanks I get?
Lily’s hand was warm for an ice witch. She guided me toward the city’s front gates, or what was left of them, while Ambry walked alongside.
“We won’t survive another attack,” Lily said. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the thrill of chopping heads like the next girl, but the only reason I had time to freeze so many of them was the guards holding the enemy back.”
“There were forty, maybe fifty cretins,” I said. “I saw them take over Meadowdale with less. Next time they’ll bring more.”
“The Mayor needs the empire’s protection, but he’ll never accept that,” Lily said.
“Fool,” Ambry said.
“You can’t just sit here,” I said. “This city is doomed.”
“We can’t just leave our people behind,” Lily said. “I’m sorry it has to end like this.”
“Me too,” I said. “We were preparing for that invasion at Nola’s temple. When they passed us by, I couldn’t let them attack Valleyvale without at least warning you.”
“Good luck protecting Nola,” Lily said.
Ambry put a hand on my shoulder and locked eyes with me. She offered me a brief, warm smile, then resumed her normal stoic face.
“Thank you both,” I said. “Good luck surviving the Mayor. He’s an idiot and a prick.”
“Believe me, we know,” Lily said, a grin lighting up her face. “He’s our father.”
+21
There had been no road from Nola’s temple to Valleyvale, only a circuitous path through the trees that I had memorized on my last trip, just wide enough and flat enough for our donkey to trek. Now, thanks to the massive general that had stomped through the forest, a clear straight line was cut through the woods.
It didn’t lead to Nola’s temple, because the cretins hadn’t visited us yet, but it came dangerously close. I wove through the trees on the last stretch of my journey and arrived late at night, thoroughly exhausted.
The stone door to the temple was shut tight. I knocked.
I knocked again.
We really needed a doorbell.
“You’re back,” came a voice from high up. It was Cindra, standing at the edge of a tower’s roof. I ran up those stairs to join her.
“What are you doing up here?” I asked. “It’s late.”
“They’re stars,” she said. “Real live stars. Until I met you, I hadn’t seen the outside sky. Not the sun, or the clouds, or these.” She gestured toward the sky with both arms and spun in a circle. “They’re so beautiful, little specks of light that defy the darkness.”
“Yes,” I said. “They are.”
“Did Valleyvale fall to Duul,” she asked, “or do they live to see another starry night?”
“They lost an energem,” I said, “and there were casualties, but the city isn’t cursed and Gowes is alive.”
“Then you’re a hero,” she said.
I shook my head. “The first thing I did was lose use of my spear and drop it at the very start of the fight. Then I nearly died, but Blade saved me. Blade, of all people. I managed to fend off a few cretins attacking Gowes, but then the Mayor blamed me for damaging the temple in front of everyone and I let him. I didn’t stand up for myself. I didn’t demand he do a better job of protecting his people. He told me to leave, and I did. I left everyone behind. I’m no hero.”
“You’re my hero,” she said. “You could have left me behind in the quarry, but you didn’t. Even though I could have been dangerous for all you knew, you accepted me and welcomed me. You’ve fought to keep me safe and alive. You didn’t have to do any of those things.”
“Yes I did,” I said. “It’s my responsibility to keep you safe if you’re going to stay here in the temple.”
“It’s only your responsibility,” she said, “because you made it your responsibility. You’re a good man, Arden. Your loyalty to others isn’t shaped by their race, or their wealth, or their beauty. Or lack thereof.”
“Are you still on about that?” I asked. I put a hand on her cheek. “Cindra, you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on. You are a star shining through the darkness that falls on our world.”
She looked at my lips. I looked at hers. I moved my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her close for a kiss. Her lips were soft and full, parting easily to let my tongue explore against her own. Her skin was like velvet as my hand traced down her back.
She wore her Radiant Gown, the sparkly fabric catching only the faintest light of the moon and reflecting it back in a dim sheen. The dress had a thin string that cinched it up her back. I untied it, loosening the dress like a corset. Her large breasts heaved forward, tumbling from her gown as I freed her of its constraints.
Cindra’s arms wrapped around my back and pressed me against her body. I seemed to melt into her, her skin connecting with every inch of my front. My hands found their way further down, pulling her hips against mine.
No amount of exhaustion would stop me from enjoying this night. I had survived a deadly attack and saved not just the city, but its god as well, Nola’s uncle. I was stronger than ever, had filled a few energems, and made new allies in Lily and Ambry. If they ever emerged from their father’s shadow, they’d make fine warrior witches, maybe even mayors in their own right.
My body ached for rest, and it found that with Cindra. My tension released and my muscles moved in a natural rhythm that rejuvenated us both.
It was a good, long night.
+22
I woke up the next morning, half naked under a sun that warmed the stones around me. It took a moment to realize that I was still on top of a tower, well above the temple’s entry level. Cindra was just climbing the wooden stairs to the roof.
“We let you sleep in,” she said. “I thought you might be hungry.” She set down a plate of roasted meat with berry jam, cheese, and bread.”
“Famished,” I said. “I spent more energy in one day yesterday than I did in my whole life.”
“I believe it,” she said. “You were rather unstoppable.”
The sound of a hammer against stone brought reality crashing in on me. Vix. A woman I had also slept with, and who I cared about. My stomach balled up in a knot.
“Cindra,” I said. “Can I tell you something?”
“Anything,” she said.
“I don’t want to upset you, or anyone, but if I’m not honest now it’ll be worse later. I care about you.”
“I know you do,” she said. “I care about you too.”
“I also care about Vix,” I said. “She and I have…”
Cindra took my chin between her fingers. “Sweetie, if you think I didn’t know you two were going at it in the forest, I’ll be insulted.”
“Was it that obvious?” I asked.
“I’ve been living in a cave, and even I have enough sense to know that. Besides, Vix and I spoke about it. When she’s in heat, she has physical needs she can’t deny. She doesn’t want to deny them, not with you. She cares about you too. But she has no need to keep you to herself. Nor do I.”
A huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I never thought women could be so rational about all this. I kissed Cindra once before digging into my food. “You are amazing,” I said. “Both of you.”
“And if you haven’t noticed,” Cindra said, “Mamba is smitten as well. Watch out for her. She likes to ply her men with wine.”
“Noted,” I said, my mouth full of bread and cheese. Cindra disappeared down the stairs and I followed after once I finished my morning meal.
Vix was hard at work on another tower, this one twenty feet ahead of the row nearest the temple’s entrance. “M
orning!” she said.
“Good morning,” I replied. I was still sleepy from all of the previous day’s activities.
“I figured I’d get started on this tower now and see what you thought while work was underway. If I make this one three stories, it will be a full story taller than the one behind it, so we can zip line down to that tower when we need to abandon the taller one. With only two of us any good with ranged attacks, this gives us a second shot at keeping enemies in range before it’s up to you and me to fight melee-style at the front door.”
“That’s an interesting approach,” I said.
“Thanks,” she replied, still chiseling away at a large block. “I’m also thinking about making a faulty block in the base, so that we could yank it out and send the tower toppling over onto our enemies. They’d never see it coming!”
“Is there a way to do that,” I asked, “that ensures it doesn’t also kill us?”
“No,” she said, “and there’s a chance the bad guys could pull it out when we don’t want them to. Hmm….”
“Let’s skip that one then. I like the zip-lining though.” I surveyed the space between the first two towers. “Say, can we build a wall and a gate? I saw the front doors to Valleyvale hold off the cretins for a while. It could be worth spending the time and resources on.”
“I could build stone doors, or wood,” she said, “but they would take a long time and you’d need to haul resources for me. Or I could make a wooden pike fence and raise it on pulleys! If I strung wooden logs together and suspended them from the tower tops, we could lower them as a gate or raise them to let each other in!”
“Have at it,” I said. “If that’s the best we can do on short notice it’s better than nothing. I’d like to see a real wall and sturdy gates one day though.”
“One brick at a time, my dear Arden,” she said. Then she went back to hammering rocks.
I wandered into the forest with a hatchet to resume collecting wood. Our resource stock was fairly even, with Vix using stone and wood almost as quickly as we collected them. I didn’t want to let our supplies start to run low.
Cindra and Mamba would be in the quarry pulling up stones with snakes and gi-ants doing the heavy lifting, earning up XP while they did it. I’d have to level everyone up again soon if we were going to keep growing.
A few hours went by in the forest before I heard it. The sound of metal and boots. My first thought was how utterly exhausted I was. After a day of working, traveling, fighting, being disrespected by the mayor, and traveling back to our base, I wasn’t ready for another wave of Duul’s attackers. Not yet.
I hopped onto the donkey cart and forced that poor animal to take us back to the base as quickly as possible. I wanted to leave the cart behind so we could ride faster, but an abandoned supply cart screamed, “I’m here in the forest somewhere,” and I didn’t want the forces of darkness to find me any sooner than necessary.
“Vix,” I said. “We have visitors.” Cindra and Mamba rounded the corner with their minions, concerned looks on their faces.
“We heard them too,” Mamba said. “The rhythm of their feet is mirthless. I don’t like it.”
“Everyone take your positions,” I said.
We waited, and waited.
I sense two dozen this time, Nola said.
Not a uselessly wide range like last time?, I asked.
Do you want intel or not?, she asked.
Yes, please and thank you, holy goddess.
That’s better, she said.
Vix and I stood between the towers. I dug the tip of my spear into a hole in the ground that led to the meditation room below. If this army chased us inside the temple, they might eventually corner us in that dead end room full of spiked stone spires. It wouldn’t be a pretty ending.
The bushes ahead parted and the first person stepped forward.
“You are hard to find, gods damn it!” It was Lily.
“It’s okay,” I yelled to Cindra and Mamba atop their separate towers. “Don’t shoot. They’re from Valleyvale.”
I walked toward them. “What are you doing here?”
“Our father refuses to bring in the empire for help,” Lily said. “After he also refused to give you credit for helping us fight off the last wave of attackers, we knew we didn’t stand a chance there, not without you. We asked him to invite you and Nola to Valleyvale so you could use your skills to make us stronger, and so we could all fight as one.”
“He resists,” Ambry said.
“We threatened to leave,” Lily continued, “which of course would leave Valleyvale unprotected. He didn’t care. He said if we were going to leave, we shouldn’t delay. So we asked around to see who wanted to come with us, and here we are.
“Will you take us in?” There was real worry in her eyes, like I might decline. She and her sister had defied their father, the very ruler of Valleyvale, and led two dozen women and men here seeking safety and freedom.
“Life here isn’t easy,” I said. “Duul and his army will find us. We’ll need to fight, all of us. And we don’t have many amenities.”
“We’re not afraid to fight,” Lily said.
“Or work,” Ambry added.
“Then welcome aboard,” I said. “As long as Nola accepts your pledges you’re all welcome at the temple.”
Yay, more fealty pledges!, Nola said. And it’s more than just a temple now, it’s a settlement. You’re doing it, Arden, you’re building me a city!
Cindra and Mamba came down from their towers.
“Welcome to our humble settlement,” I said to the group as the last member emerged from the trees and crowded around me. “Here we serve and protect Nola, the goddess of clever insight.”
Tell them that I’m the goddess that sparks the idea to mix one good thing with another good thing, like energy potions with alcohol, or bacon with ice cream!
“Nola is the goddess of mash-ups, among other things,” I said.
Everyone murmured their approval.
I never thought of it that way, Nola said.
“Starting with Lily and Ambry, I will train everyone’s skills free of charge. All I ask is that you use your talents to improve our settlement. We have a full day of building ahead of us, but tonight, we’ll have a feast inside the temple to welcome you all here.”
Mamba sidled up to me and asked, in a quiet voice, “Does that mean we can finally open the wine?”
“Yes,” I said so that only she could hear, “but I can’t drink too much. I need to focus on how we’re progressing here.”
“Just enough to dance with me,” she said, “that’s all I ask.”
Lily stepped forward. “Do me first.”
I quickly upgraded my own Precision Training skill to the next level. This would save everyone I trained today additional XP that we could invest in making them even stronger later. Then I cracked open Lily’s skills menu in the glowing blue writing that only I could see.
Δ
Skillmeister View of:
Lily Ingriss
Base Attribute / XP to Next / Intended Change / Total XP Cost
-
5 Constitution / 125 XP to Next / 5 –> 6 / Total XP Cost: 125
-
5 Vivacity / 125 XP to Next / 5 –> 6 / Total XP Cost: 125
-
7 Strength / 175 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
7 Hardiness / 175 XP to Next / 7 –> 8 / Total XP Cost: 175
-
7 Focus / 175 XP to Next / 7 –> 8 / Total XP Cost: 175
-
7 Resolve / 175 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0
-
TOTAL BASE ATTRIBUTE XP COST: 600
Stats Affected by Change
-
[Constitution] Health Points (HP): 500/500 –> 600/600
-
[Vivacity] Action Points (AP): 100/100 –> 120/120
-
[Strength] Phys. Damage Inflict Range: 70-85
-
-
[Focus] Mag. Damage Inflict Range: 70-85 –> 80-98
-
[Resolve] Mag. Damage Block Range: 38-53
-
Skills For Weapon Class: Battle Axe
-
Locked. Guillotine 1. Activate for 1% chance to decapitate any enemy with lower Hardiness than your own. [50 AP to cast] [Requires: Hardiness 8, Focus 8] [125 XP to unlock].
-
Improve to Guillotine 2 to increase chance of success to 2%. [52 AP to cast] [Requires: Hardiness 10, Focus 10] [250 XP to improve].
…
Intended Change: 0 –> 1
Cost Subtotal: 125
TOTAL BATTLE AXE SKILL XP COST: 125
Skills for Special Class: Ice Queen
-
Battle Cryo 4. Freeze enemies in place for 10 seconds. [14 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 4, Resolve 4].
-
Improve to Battle Cryo 5 to increase immobility duration to 12 seconds. [15 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 5, Resolve 5] [1,875 XP to improve].
…
Intended Change: 4 –> 5
Cost Subtotal: 1,875
TOTAL ICE QUEEN SKILL XP COST: 1,875
Summary
-
Available XP: 2,712
Cost of Intended Changes: 2,600
Precision Training Discount (2%): 52
Total Adjusted Cost: 2,548
Total Projected Remaining: 164
Confirm?: Yes / No
∇
I explained the changes I was making for Lily, then confirmed them. Next I trained Ambry’s skills.
Δ
Skillmeister View of:
Ambry Ingriss
Base Attribute / XP to Next / Intended Change / Total XP Cost
-
5 Constitution / 125 XP to Next / 5 –> 6 / Total XP Cost: 125
-
5 Vivacity / 125 XP to Next / 5 –> 6 / Total XP Cost: 125
