“Where the fuck is she? How is it that you can literally search door-to-door and still not find her? Don’t you have the man I disabled held prisoner?” Sloane asked.
The telv officer that had come to the campus to update her on the search for the Vlaredian mage and the rest of the Empire’s Fist fidgeted. After escaping back into the city the group disappeared. Again.
Nemura was still frustrated that throwing the woman off of the wall had merely been a setback.
Should have thrown her off the wall out of the city.
“The prisoner escaped.”
“What?” Gisele’s head snapped in the soldier’s direction, her hand raising as she pointed at the man. “He was supposed to be under guard. This is an enemy of your city who attempted sabotage. How in Alos’s name did he get away?”
“And why are we only hearing about this now?” Nemura demanded icily.
The man looked up at the woman and visibly gulped, but the telv woman at his side stepped forward. “My Lady. While we are giving you the courtesy you are due, unfortunately, we cannot prioritize you over the protection of the city. We are under siege.”
“When it–”
Sloane raised a hand. “It’s alright, Nemura. She’s entirely correct. As long as they continue to provide security to the campus as it is vital to the defensive efforts, and inform us promptly of the saboteurs, we will make do.”
The woman dipped her head. “Of course, My Lady. I have taken the liberty of increasing patrols within the quarter. While we must maintain a presence on the walls, with the enemy settling into a protracted siege, we can pull some forces back to maintain the peace.”
“Be careful. They will easily take advantage of that to strike there. Ensure that any patrols that do locate them do not engage without a vastly overwhelming act. Especially with the magic user,” Nemura cautioned.
“Of course, Senior Guardswoman.”
Sloane wracked her brain at how they could be hiding. It just seemed impossible. Then the attack on the wall had been too perfectly planned. If it wasn’t for Nemura, the woman’s magic–her eyes widened.
“Her magic.”
Everyone turned their heads toward Sloane. “What was that, Sloane?” Gisele asked.
“She’s using her magic to hide them. She created those walls in the tavern to block my attack. I would bet every gold I have that she’s doing the same thing right now.”
Sloane turned and looked at the telv woman. “You will likely need to check each building individually. Search for any false walls that she may be using to conceal them. From there, as we've seen, the group is moving in disguise when needed. That may even be how she got into the city. Find a wagon, sneak in and hide under a false floor that she can conjure from literally thin air.”
The telv’s eyes opened wide in shock. “Her magic can do such things? That–”
“It makes sense. If I had her magic or even a subordinate under me that did, I would do that. Be wary of small variations as well. They will sacrifice comfort to secure themselves even more,” Nemura added.
The telv looked at her male counterpart and whispered something to him. He nodded quickly and rushed out of the room.
“My Lady, if you will excuse me. You have given us information that may help us catch these Vlaredians. Thank you,” She said with a salute.
Sloane nodded. After the woman exited the room, Gisele turned to Ernald. “You will want to warn the House Guard. Their patrols will not be enough.”
“No. While I wouldn’t bet on an attack here, do not count it out. Ressa is shrewd. She has already proven she will wait however long is needed to create an opportunity,” Nemura agreed.
Ernald sighed. “I will do so. I will also speak with Adaega and Elodie about trying to hire more guards.”
Sloane tilted her head. “Do you think that will even be possible right now?”
The sun elf knight huffed. “I do not think so. However, it doesn't hurt to try, right? The Guard has been running ragged since the first attack. We need enough for at least one more shift or we risk them being too tired to be effective at all in an attack," he said.
She nodded. “I trust you. Take care of our people, Ernald.”
“I will, Sloane. I will.”
Sloane looked at the two remaining women in the room. “What now?”
Gisele sighed. “Now? We settle in. I suggest working on whatever you can to improve our odds.”
Her telv guard nodded. “Agreed. Sieges aren’t fun, but they also are pretty boring once it settles into this state. The Vlaredian army is building a fortified camp, and I assume their supply route through Goosebourne is safe now. There are signs they are redirecting the road further to the west. Likely to avoid any further confrontations with the Valeni.”
Sloane sighed. “That sounds similar to how sieges were done in my world. Except the Vlaredians have those shield mages.” She glanced down and furrowed her brows. “The Valeni… that still bothers me. Why are they attacking? I thought you said it was rare for them to attack.”
Gisele glanced at Nemura, who gestured for her to speak. “The Valeni have indeed historically kept to their forests. Small raids or skirmishes are seen as an unavoidable thing. What is most common, is their younger generations that do the attacks, as if it was some rite of passage. Their attack without warning was a surprise. What typically happens is well documented. First, there is a chance for travelers to establish their superiority. Then it is up to the leader of the Valeni party to either proceed or withdraw. If they choose to attack, we are then forced to kill them or subdue them completely.
"Usually, if you can avoid killing any of the Valeni, then those that you didn't see will simply let you go without further action. That action often ends up affecting the innocent people that travel through after you have already left. That is why your choosing to not kill them was a good idea and why once you established superiority with your magic, those Valeni just kind of stepped aside. They realized that we were not to be trifled with and that we respect their people enough to not engender any reprisal. Which makes me believe the surprise attack was done in error. At least I hope. As you mentioned, they are changing.
“While not many people have gone into the forests themselves, even fewer have lived to tell the tale. Those that have though? There are rumors of towns and villages or even entire cities within the forest. We know their population is vast, otherwise, they would not repel the attempted invasions with such ferocity. How they support those populations isn’t widely known. Thus, each Val Forest is treated as their own nation, similar to the various dwarven enclaves.
“If your theory of mana concentration is true, then we will be faced with yet another new race in our world. The difference between them and your people is that these are fully secured in their locations.”
“That is a lot of good information. Thank you." Sloane sighed. "I guess we will see what the future holds."
She hesitated, and then changed the subject. "What are you two going to do, now?”
Gisele shrugged. “I am going to train.” She looked up at Nemura. “Would you like to join us?”
“I will need to work a schedule with Stefan and Ernald, but yes. I want guardsmen to be with you wherever you go, Lady Reinhart.”
“Thank you, Nemura. I think there are a few projects I need to work on, so I shouldn’t be going off campus too much. I need to set up the backend of the Runecard system and get our new scribe set up to work on them.”
The two women nodded, but she was clearly about to lose them if she went into too much detail.
Gisele smiled. “I cannot wait to see what you come up with when you are stuck and bored. Last time you created a metal falcon.”
Sloane groaned. “Don’t even get me started on that. I still don’t know what I did that night. That tea–”
“Clearly has a strange reaction with terrans. Or at least some terran variations. Other substances react differently with the various races of the world. I would be careful,” Nemura stated.
Gisele nodded. “Yes… I have to admit that I did not consider that.”
Sloane sighed. “Information that would have been useful much earlier in my arrival.”
The orkun knight shrugged. “It is rare, but at least you are aware of it. Now, I should update the others. Nemura, should I expect to see you at the training pad later?”
Nemura nodded. “Yes. I will be there.”
Gisele looked at Sloane. “Don’t expect much to happen for some time, but be prepared for something to happen at any time. You are building a valuable relationship with the city, and if we make it through this siege intact, it will serve you for a long time to come. Focus on your projects; let us and the army focus on defending the city and our people.”
“Okay. You’re right. Let’s get settled in and get some work done.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Weeks went by, and Sloane settled into a groove. The siege had not let up, but at the same time, the Vlaredians had only tried several times to attack. Once with a set of siege weapons that were essentially trebuchets, using the shield mages as cover.
They had just about the same range as the city’s enchanted ballistae, but in the end, the sheer numbers the city was able to bring to bear had destroyed that attempt.
More troops arrived to reinforce the Vlaredians, and they started construction on a second fortified camp that was built to cut off any reinforcements to the city. There were discussions of attempting to build counter trebuchets and enchant them so that they could attack the camps directly, but the city’s leadership had decided to delay that plan until the second more thorough search of the city was completed. Their reasoning was that they were afraid the Vlaredians in the city would be sure to target them.
Sloane wasn’t so sure.
Ressa and her team of saboteurs had only shown up once. It happened when one smart officer found a clue. One that led them to the city’s sewers and catacombs. Unfortunately, over the years it had expanded so much that there were no clear plans for its entire layout.
Still, the officer, the same telv woman that had met with Sloane weeks prior, managed to track down where the Empire’s Fist had set up a location to hide. She planned an ambush and had a large team of soldiers with her.
Instead of capturing or killing the team, somehow the Vlaredian elites had figured out what was happening and ambushed the ambushers.
Eighteen dead, six wounded, and zero casualties inflicted on Ressa’s team later, and the city finally decided to take the threat seriously. Curfews were now implemented, and checkpoints within the city were erected. Nemura had been appalled that it took the city leadership that long to do so. She had complained about the arrogance exhibited for hours.
The city militia had even been called up and was patrolling the streets all hours of the day even through the snow. I didn’t even know there was a city militia.
The knights apparently thought it was a terrible idea, but it appeared that the city was struggling to consider how to both survive the siege and root out a protracted infiltration by their enemies. The fact that they were caught completely unaware of both was not helping matters. Sloane had to agree, they were floundering, and she didn’t think it would end well.
That gave her the motivation to help the city in any way she could.
Her occasional foray with Tiberius had helped her to glimpse the first signs of scouts from the south. After she had reported it, the army had given her a missive to have the falcon deliver, but the scouts had run away without hesitation. From what she had heard, the general had cursed nonstop at the incompetence exhibited by the scouts for hours.
She found the situation amusingly ironic.
Sloane, herself, had worked almost nonstop on her various projects. Figuring out other uses for her watch, designing new grenade types, and coming up with new ways to enchant equipment were just a small portion of what she’d focused on. Every day, she lost herself in her work, trying to come up with new things. Her most recent failure was a method to communicate through mana. She simply did not have the affinity for the spells she suspected were required to make it work.
So, she fell back on what she did know. Which was what had her busy right now. She and Orthan were coming up with a way to streamline the process to fabricate the Runecards.
“Lady Reinhart, I want to have stamps made,” The young scribe, Orthan Barat, said.
“Of course, Orthan. What type of–”
“Could you please commission a stamp for each rune that you know of, in at least five sizes for each? Additionally, I request that you explain the runes to me and their function. I will write a manual for reference.”
“That is a great idea. Do you think you could also create a manual that I can take with me as I travel? Preferably one with everything that we know now, and has room for me to add additional runes.”
The boy scrunched his brows in thought and drummed his fingers on his legs.
“That is a task that I can accomplish.”
“Fantastic! Maybe you could make it out of–”
“I will handle the details. For the Runecards, the stamps will allow me to create the cards quickly,” he stated.
She suddenly got an idea. “Actually, Orthan, I have an idea for a mana-powered press. What we’re going to do is create a machine that uses mana to power it. We will fit it with these stamps, but instead of just using individual runes, we will create a large stamp that is the exact size of the card. The machine will then stamp it with everything except the name of the person.”
Sloane heard a gasp from behind her and turned her head. Adaega was standing there. “You mean to start an industrial revolution using mana as the source of power? What about electricity?”
Orthan looked between the two women. “Electricity?”
Sloane glanced at the boy. “It is a form of energy that comes from the existence of charged particles either statically or dynamically.”
His eyebrows scrunched up and was about to ask another question but Adaega jumped in. “I will show you later, Orthan. There are a few small experiments we can accomplish to show you what it means.”
Smiling, Sloane answered the woman’s earlier question. “A lot of this will be on you. If I find any other humans… err, terrans. I will send them your way. At the very least, we need to create a way to quickly stamp and fabricate the cards. The more I work on them, the more I believe I bit off more than I can chew. We are working with a much earlier technological level than we are used to, and it is a bit difficult to realize the vast gulf between our civilizations.”
“Mana will allow us to traverse this gulf?” Orthan inquired.
Sloane nodded. “Yes. I believe it will in many ways. We are at the cusp of a revolution, and I mean to ride the wave. This will put us all in a position where we are secure. I won’t say safe… at least not with the army sitting outside of the city–”
“Or the threat posed by these people targeting you,” Adaega helpfully added.
“Yes. Her, as well. What I mean is, I can get this started. We’re going to have to scale back our initial goals for the Runecard business.”
“Elodie will be happy, and I agree with her. We should focus on the nobility and merchants. That will cut down on the numbers required dramatically. Orthan, can you please start drawing something Koren and his smiths can use to create this stamp for the cards? You have the prototypes that Lady Reinhart has been working with.”
The boy nodded. “Yes, Ms. Adaega.”
He gathered his notes and satchel before he walked out of the room.
I really should work on a way to take notes.
“Now, let’s go meet with Koren and go over this press. I know he has been working on a way to quickly make the cards.”
The two women gathered their things and walked across the campus to Smithing Hall. As they walked in, the young orkun man that had been hired as essentially a receptionist and assistant to Koren was sitting at the desk just inside the entrance.
He quickly stood up and bowed. “Lady Reinhart, Ms. Adaega! Welcome. Are you looking for Mr. Koren? He’s currently inside the foundry, should I retrieve him?”
Sloane chuckled. “Adaega and I will just go over there. I am sure you are busy.”
“It is no problem, milady. I can–”
“Relax. The Lady and I can walk there. You should return to your duties. Lady Reinhart does not require people to drop everything they are doing to work at her bidding. It is quite alright,” Adaega gently admonished.
Sloane smiled. “She’s right. Thank you, though! I appreciate your willingness to assist us.”
The orkun bowed deeper. “Thank you, milady.”
She and Adaega left and walked the short distance to the foundry, passing a group of her House Guards on the way. The men and women moved to the side and saluted her, and she dipped her head in acknowledgment. As they approached the entrance, two more guardsmen were standing outside with a soldier from the city. The soldier made to stop her but then a look of recognition came over him and he quickly moved back.
Her guardsman closest to him laughed and greeted her, “Welcome, My Lady. Koren has been busy today. I suspect a distraction from you will be welcome.”
“I may be giving him an even larger headache.”
The other guard huffed a laugh. “Thank you for the warning, milady. In that case, I think we will ask to be relieved for the next few hours.”
Adaega shook her head, but Sloane laughed. “I don’t think it will be that bad. It will help us make money, though!”
They walked inside the large foundry building and almost immediately had to weave around the many people inside. It was a hive of activity, with smiths and metalworkers from the city using the facility.
One source of funding had come from renting the use of the foundry to the city so that weapons and armor for the city’s soldiers could be repaired and have runes engraved into them, ready for her or now Orthan to enchant. Adaega had learned and then informed her that their foundry was one of the largest in the city. Two others were larger but with the amount of work that was constantly being done, more space was required. She had even heard word that the city had purchased nearly every store of metal that was within the city, regardless if it had been promised to others by the merchants that had owned it.
Koren quickly caught sight of the two women amidst the hustle and bustle going on. The orkun man approached and wiped his hands off on his apron. “Lady Reinhart! Good day to you,” He greeted her and then dipped his head at the shorter woman. “Ms. Adaega. What can I do for you two?”
“I want to go over a project I have for you.”
The man took a deep breath and quickly glanced around. “Please, right over here.”
He led them to a small table and cleared it off. One of his apprentices must have seen because the young man came running over, bringing paper and a writing utensil.
As they sat, he looked between them. “Alright, I am ready. What do you have for me?”
“Well, you have been working on a way to quickly make the Runecards, correct?”
He nodded. “Yes, My Lady. We have been making molds that we will then pour the metal into, then let it cool. We can currently make about twenty of the cards at a time,” He explained.
Adaega gestured at the apprentice and grabbed his paper and quill. Her director started taking notes. Sloane’s thoughts, again, went to a mana-powered tablet device for taking notes.
“That is a solid start. Right now Orthan is drawing up a stamp you will need to fabricate. You will then feed each card into a machine we’ll make that will then stamp–”
“Are you speaking of something similar to a coin press?”
Sloane’s eyes lit up. “Sort of. However, instead of hammers or anything, we are going to have this powered by mana. Feed the completed cards into the slot, tighten it down, then simply press a switch and the press will shoot down to stamp the cards. Now, this is how we are going to build the press…”
The man leaned in as she started describing her vision, which was basically a machine to stamp each card with the pre-set runes. The smith’s apprentice had to run and grab much more paper by the time they were done. Adaega had left the notes for the man to peruse, but at the end of the discussion, she was sure they had a solid plan.
Sloane left Adaega a bit later. She joined Stefan and four guards to take a carriage out of the campus. Tiberius sat perched on Stefan’s shoulder and chirped out a greeting as she approached the group.
“How are you, Stefan?”
“I am sore. I swear Nemura does this on purpose. It is like she has something against me.”
“What is ‘this’?” She asked.
He sighed. “Kick my ass during spars.”
She chuckled. “You’ll get her soon enough. Remind me to tell you about how the archetype in my world’s stories known as ‘rogue’ works. Perhaps it will help you as you practice and create more mana abilities.”
“I am open to literally anything that will give me an edge against that woman.”
“You know Nemura is only pushing you because she respects you and knows she has to work closely with you.”
“Tell that to my bruised arse.”
“So to speak!” She said with a laugh, ignoring his confused look in response. She held out her arm for Tiberius to transfer to before shaking her head and stepping into the carriage.
Nemura and several guards had escorted Sloane to the center from the small manor within the Upper Quarter that the city had gifted her after the initial assault was repelled due to the siege weapons she had enchanted. The quarter itself was where the social and political elites lived within the city. She appreciated the act, and it seemed that the Council wanted to gain a long-term relationship with her and the House. Granting her citizenship had been something completely unexpected and while it had granted many benefits that not all people living within enjoyed, it was still second to citizens who owned land within the city.
While Nemura had originally wanted to stick to the plan of staying on the campus, Ismeld and Gisele had grudgingly convinced her that a baroness should stay somewhere that better fit her station.
The city had even spared a few guards to help ensure she was protected. Never mind the fact that the quarter was already patrolled more extensively than almost anywhere else within the city.
Almost every door was open to her. She had priority access to nearly anything she wanted within the city. Sloane was sure that if there wasn’t a siege currently, her ability to push her House forward would be unencumbered by just about any obstacle. She needed to cultivate that relationship, and ensure that her House maintained that level of influence. Possibly even increase it.
As the carriage slowly drove through the streets, they came upon a large crowd. She looked out of the window and squinted, trying to see what the commotion was about.
She banged on the wall and the small window opened and Stefan’s face appeared.
“What’s going on ahead?”
“Something at the temple. It shouldn’t be too long.”
Sloane squinted her eyes. She had been told a lot about the religion here by the knights, but she had yet to actually experience it. She knew that Maud had been to the temple numerous times to use her magic to heal. Contrary to her initial worries when she had first arrived, the church hadn’t sought to coerce her into their service or anything. If anything, they just seemed thankful. It fought every instinct and notion she had of the concept. You know… no time like the present.
“Stefan, let’s go check it out.”
His surprise was pretty evident. “Are… you sure?”
“Yeah. Let’s go check out the temple. It’s about time I learned more, we have plenty of time this evening.”
He took a deep breath. “Alright. I will have the driver park, then we will go.”
Sloane nodded.
A short while later, the carriage jerked to a halt and the door opened. Sloane stepped out with Tiberius on her shoulder.
She followed behind Stefan as he and two of the guards helped clear a path for her through the crowd to the temple. Several priests stood outside and were speaking to the masses. A high-elven woman she suspected was a priestess of some sort walked up to them as they neared the entrance.
“May I help you, My Lady?”
Stefan stepped to the side and stared at Sloane with an expectant look that basically said ‘now what?’
“Hi! I am Sloane Reinhart. If it isn’t obvious, I am a terran.” She chuckled nervously. “I was hoping to come and learn more about your temple, especially since it seems that I’ll be here for a while. A friend of mine comes here regularly to help with healing.”
A flash of recognition fell over the woman and she smiled. “Ser Maud! She has been an absolute blessing. Of course, please, right this way. I would be happy to introduce you to the high priest.”
Sloane smiled. “Lovely! Thank you.”
She fell into step behind the woman, and she heard Stefan’s sigh as he walked at her side.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” he whispered.
“It sounds like you aren’t. That crowd seems to be enjoying whatever they’re doing,” she replied.
The raithe hesitated for a moment. “That is fair. They’re simply too stuffy for my tastes.”
She just shrugged. It was clear that the blade was not religious. Sloane preferred to make her own impressions of new things. They were clearly not surprised about the use of magic. Perhaps they had magic users, or even knowledge that she could utilize or trade for. Whatever came from this, it was sure to be interesting.
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“Where the fuck is she? How is it that you can literally search door-to-door and still not find her? Don’t you have the man I disabled held prisoner?” Sloane asked.
The telv officer that had come to the campus to update her on the search for the Vlaredian mage and the rest of the Empire’s Fist fidgeted. After escaping back into the city the group disappeared. Again.
Nemura was still frustrated that throwing the woman off of the wall had merely been a setback.
Should have thrown her off the wall out of the city.
“The prisoner escaped.”
“What?” Gisele’s head snapped in the soldier’s direction, her hand raising as she pointed at the man. “He was supposed to be under guard. This is an enemy of your city who attempted sabotage. How in Alos’s name did he get away?”
“And why are we only hearing about this now?” Nemura demanded icily.
The man looked up at the woman and visibly gulped, but the telv woman at his side stepped forward. “My Lady. While we are giving you the courtesy you are due, unfortunately, we cannot prioritize you over the protection of the city. We are under siege.”
“When it–”
Sloane raised a hand. “It’s alright, Nemura. She’s entirely correct. As long as they continue to provide security to the campus as it is vital to the defensive efforts, and inform us promptly of the saboteurs, we will make do.”
The woman dipped her head. “Of course, My Lady. I have taken the liberty of increasing patrols within the quarter. While we must maintain a presence on the walls, with the enemy settling into a protracted siege, we can pull some forces back to maintain the peace.”
“Be careful. They will easily take advantage of that to strike there. Ensure that any patrols that do locate them do not engage without a vastly overwhelming act. Especially with the magic user,” Nemura cautioned.
“Of course, Senior Guardswoman.”
Sloane wracked her brain at how they could be hiding. It just seemed impossible. Then the attack on the wall had been too perfectly planned. If it wasn’t for Nemura, the woman’s magic–her eyes widened.
“Her magic.”
Everyone turned their heads toward Sloane. “What was that, Sloane?” Gisele asked.
“She’s using her magic to hide them. She created those walls in the tavern to block my attack. I would bet every gold I have that she’s doing the same thing right now.”
Sloane turned and looked at the telv woman. “You will likely need to check each building individually. Search for any false walls that she may be using to conceal them. From there, as we've seen, the group is moving in disguise when needed. That may even be how she got into the city. Find a wagon, sneak in and hide under a false floor that she can conjure from literally thin air.”
The telv’s eyes opened wide in shock. “Her magic can do such things? That–”
“It makes sense. If I had her magic or even a subordinate under me that did, I would do that. Be wary of small variations as well. They will sacrifice comfort to secure themselves even more,” Nemura added.
The telv looked at her male counterpart and whispered something to him. He nodded quickly and rushed out of the room.
“My Lady, if you will excuse me. You have given us information that may help us catch these Vlaredians. Thank you,” She said with a salute.
Sloane nodded. After the woman exited the room, Gisele turned to Ernald. “You will want to warn the House Guard. Their patrols will not be enough.”
“No. While I wouldn’t bet on an attack here, do not count it out. Ressa is shrewd. She has already proven she will wait however long is needed to create an opportunity,” Nemura agreed.
Ernald sighed. “I will do so. I will also speak with Adaega and Elodie about trying to hire more guards.”
Sloane tilted her head. “Do you think that will even be possible right now?”
The sun elf knight huffed. “I do not think so. However, it doesn't hurt to try, right? The Guard has been running ragged since the first attack. We need enough for at least one more shift or we risk them being too tired to be effective at all in an attack," he said.
She nodded. “I trust you. Take care of our people, Ernald.”
“I will, Sloane. I will.”
Sloane looked at the two remaining women in the room. “What now?”
Gisele sighed. “Now? We settle in. I suggest working on whatever you can to improve our odds.”
Her telv guard nodded. “Agreed. Sieges aren’t fun, but they also are pretty boring once it settles into this state. The Vlaredian army is building a fortified camp, and I assume their supply route through Goosebourne is safe now. There are signs they are redirecting the road further to the west. Likely to avoid any further confrontations with the Valeni.”
Sloane sighed. “That sounds similar to how sieges were done in my world. Except the Vlaredians have those shield mages.” She glanced down and furrowed her brows. “The Valeni… that still bothers me. Why are they attacking? I thought you said it was rare for them to attack.”
Gisele glanced at Nemura, who gestured for her to speak. “The Valeni have indeed historically kept to their forests. Small raids or skirmishes are seen as an unavoidable thing. What is most common, is their younger generations that do the attacks, as if it was some rite of passage. Their attack without warning was a surprise. What typically happens is well documented. First, there is a chance for travelers to establish their superiority. Then it is up to the leader of the Valeni party to either proceed or withdraw. If they choose to attack, we are then forced to kill them or subdue them completely.
"Usually, if you can avoid killing any of the Valeni, then those that you didn't see will simply let you go without further action. That action often ends up affecting the innocent people that travel through after you have already left. That is why your choosing to not kill them was a good idea and why once you established superiority with your magic, those Valeni just kind of stepped aside. They realized that we were not to be trifled with and that we respect their people enough to not engender any reprisal. Which makes me believe the surprise attack was done in error. At least I hope. As you mentioned, they are changing.
“While not many people have gone into the forests themselves, even fewer have lived to tell the tale. Those that have though? There are rumors of towns and villages or even entire cities within the forest. We know their population is vast, otherwise, they would not repel the attempted invasions with such ferocity. How they support those populations isn’t widely known. Thus, each Val Forest is treated as their own nation, similar to the various dwarven enclaves.
“If your theory of mana concentration is true, then we will be faced with yet another new race in our world. The difference between them and your people is that these are fully secured in their locations.”
“That is a lot of good information. Thank you." Sloane sighed. "I guess we will see what the future holds."
She hesitated, and then changed the subject. "What are you two going to do, now?”
Gisele shrugged. “I am going to train.” She looked up at Nemura. “Would you like to join us?”
“I will need to work a schedule with Stefan and Ernald, but yes. I want guardsmen to be with you wherever you go, Lady Reinhart.”
“Thank you, Nemura. I think there are a few projects I need to work on, so I shouldn’t be going off campus too much. I need to set up the backend of the Runecard system and get our new scribe set up to work on them.”
The two women nodded, but she was clearly about to lose them if she went into too much detail.
Gisele smiled. “I cannot wait to see what you come up with when you are stuck and bored. Last time you created a metal falcon.”
Sloane groaned. “Don’t even get me started on that. I still don’t know what I did that night. That tea–”
“Clearly has a strange reaction with terrans. Or at least some terran variations. Other substances react differently with the various races of the world. I would be careful,” Nemura stated.
Gisele nodded. “Yes… I have to admit that I did not consider that.”
Sloane sighed. “Information that would have been useful much earlier in my arrival.”
The orkun knight shrugged. “It is rare, but at least you are aware of it. Now, I should update the others. Nemura, should I expect to see you at the training pad later?”
Nemura nodded. “Yes. I will be there.”
Gisele looked at Sloane. “Don’t expect much to happen for some time, but be prepared for something to happen at any time. You are building a valuable relationship with the city, and if we make it through this siege intact, it will serve you for a long time to come. Focus on your projects; let us and the army focus on defending the city and our people.”
“Okay. You’re right. Let’s get settled in and get some work done.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Weeks went by, and Sloane settled into a groove. The siege had not let up, but at the same time, the Vlaredians had only tried several times to attack. Once with a set of siege weapons that were essentially trebuchets, using the shield mages as cover.
They had just about the same range as the city’s enchanted ballistae, but in the end, the sheer numbers the city was able to bring to bear had destroyed that attempt.
More troops arrived to reinforce the Vlaredians, and they started construction on a second fortified camp that was built to cut off any reinforcements to the city. There were discussions of attempting to build counter trebuchets and enchant them so that they could attack the camps directly, but the city’s leadership had decided to delay that plan until the second more thorough search of the city was completed. Their reasoning was that they were afraid the Vlaredians in the city would be sure to target them.
Sloane wasn’t so sure.
Ressa and her team of saboteurs had only shown up once. It happened when one smart officer found a clue. One that led them to the city’s sewers and catacombs. Unfortunately, over the years it had expanded so much that there were no clear plans for its entire layout.
Still, the officer, the same telv woman that had met with Sloane weeks prior, managed to track down where the Empire’s Fist had set up a location to hide. She planned an ambush and had a large team of soldiers with her.
Instead of capturing or killing the team, somehow the Vlaredian elites had figured out what was happening and ambushed the ambushers.
Eighteen dead, six wounded, and zero casualties inflicted on Ressa’s team later, and the city finally decided to take the threat seriously. Curfews were now implemented, and checkpoints within the city were erected. Nemura had been appalled that it took the city leadership that long to do so. She had complained about the arrogance exhibited for hours.
The city militia had even been called up and was patrolling the streets all hours of the day even through the snow. I didn’t even know there was a city militia.
The knights apparently thought it was a terrible idea, but it appeared that the city was struggling to consider how to both survive the siege and root out a protracted infiltration by their enemies. The fact that they were caught completely unaware of both was not helping matters. Sloane had to agree, they were floundering, and she didn’t think it would end well.
That gave her the motivation to help the city in any way she could.
Her occasional foray with Tiberius had helped her to glimpse the first signs of scouts from the south. After she had reported it, the army had given her a missive to have the falcon deliver, but the scouts had run away without hesitation. From what she had heard, the general had cursed nonstop at the incompetence exhibited by the scouts for hours.
She found the situation amusingly ironic.
Sloane, herself, had worked almost nonstop on her various projects. Figuring out other uses for her watch, designing new grenade types, and coming up with new ways to enchant equipment were just a small portion of what she’d focused on. Every day, she lost herself in her work, trying to come up with new things. Her most recent failure was a method to communicate through mana. She simply did not have the affinity for the spells she suspected were required to make it work.
So, she fell back on what she did know. Which was what had her busy right now. She and Orthan were coming up with a way to streamline the process to fabricate the Runecards.
“Lady Reinhart, I want to have stamps made,” The young scribe, Orthan Barat, said.
“Of course, Orthan. What type of–”
“Could you please commission a stamp for each rune that you know of, in at least five sizes for each? Additionally, I request that you explain the runes to me and their function. I will write a manual for reference.”
“That is a great idea. Do you think you could also create a manual that I can take with me as I travel? Preferably one with everything that we know now, and has room for me to add additional runes.”
The boy scrunched his brows in thought and drummed his fingers on his legs.
“That is a task that I can accomplish.”
“Fantastic! Maybe you could make it out of–”
“I will handle the details. For the Runecards, the stamps will allow me to create the cards quickly,” he stated.
She suddenly got an idea. “Actually, Orthan, I have an idea for a mana-powered press. What we’re going to do is create a machine that uses mana to power it. We will fit it with these stamps, but instead of just using individual runes, we will create a large stamp that is the exact size of the card. The machine will then stamp it with everything except the name of the person.”
Sloane heard a gasp from behind her and turned her head. Adaega was standing there. “You mean to start an industrial revolution using mana as the source of power? What about electricity?”
Orthan looked between the two women. “Electricity?”
Sloane glanced at the boy. “It is a form of energy that comes from the existence of charged particles either statically or dynamically.”
His eyebrows scrunched up and was about to ask another question but Adaega jumped in. “I will show you later, Orthan. There are a few small experiments we can accomplish to show you what it means.”
Smiling, Sloane answered the woman’s earlier question. “A lot of this will be on you. If I find any other humans… err, terrans. I will send them your way. At the very least, we need to create a way to quickly stamp and fabricate the cards. The more I work on them, the more I believe I bit off more than I can chew. We are working with a much earlier technological level than we are used to, and it is a bit difficult to realize the vast gulf between our civilizations.”
“Mana will allow us to traverse this gulf?” Orthan inquired.
Sloane nodded. “Yes. I believe it will in many ways. We are at the cusp of a revolution, and I mean to ride the wave. This will put us all in a position where we are secure. I won’t say safe… at least not with the army sitting outside of the city–”
“Or the threat posed by these people targeting you,” Adaega helpfully added.
“Yes. Her, as well. What I mean is, I can get this started. We’re going to have to scale back our initial goals for the Runecard business.”
“Elodie will be happy, and I agree with her. We should focus on the nobility and merchants. That will cut down on the numbers required dramatically. Orthan, can you please start drawing something Koren and his smiths can use to create this stamp for the cards? You have the prototypes that Lady Reinhart has been working with.”
The boy nodded. “Yes, Ms. Adaega.”
He gathered his notes and satchel before he walked out of the room.
I really should work on a way to take notes.
“Now, let’s go meet with Koren and go over this press. I know he has been working on a way to quickly make the cards.”
The two women gathered their things and walked across the campus to Smithing Hall. As they walked in, the young orkun man that had been hired as essentially a receptionist and assistant to Koren was sitting at the desk just inside the entrance.
He quickly stood up and bowed. “Lady Reinhart, Ms. Adaega! Welcome. Are you looking for Mr. Koren? He’s currently inside the foundry, should I retrieve him?”
Sloane chuckled. “Adaega and I will just go over there. I am sure you are busy.”
“It is no problem, milady. I can–”
“Relax. The Lady and I can walk there. You should return to your duties. Lady Reinhart does not require people to drop everything they are doing to work at her bidding. It is quite alright,” Adaega gently admonished.
Sloane smiled. “She’s right. Thank you, though! I appreciate your willingness to assist us.”
The orkun bowed deeper. “Thank you, milady.”
She and Adaega left and walked the short distance to the foundry, passing a group of her House Guards on the way. The men and women moved to the side and saluted her, and she dipped her head in acknowledgment. As they approached the entrance, two more guardsmen were standing outside with a soldier from the city. The soldier made to stop her but then a look of recognition came over him and he quickly moved back.
Her guardsman closest to him laughed and greeted her, “Welcome, My Lady. Koren has been busy today. I suspect a distraction from you will be welcome.”
“I may be giving him an even larger headache.”
The other guard huffed a laugh. “Thank you for the warning, milady. In that case, I think we will ask to be relieved for the next few hours.”
Adaega shook her head, but Sloane laughed. “I don’t think it will be that bad. It will help us make money, though!”
They walked inside the large foundry building and almost immediately had to weave around the many people inside. It was a hive of activity, with smiths and metalworkers from the city using the facility.
One source of funding had come from renting the use of the foundry to the city so that weapons and armor for the city’s soldiers could be repaired and have runes engraved into them, ready for her or now Orthan to enchant. Adaega had learned and then informed her that their foundry was one of the largest in the city. Two others were larger but with the amount of work that was constantly being done, more space was required. She had even heard word that the city had purchased nearly every store of metal that was within the city, regardless if it had been promised to others by the merchants that had owned it.
Koren quickly caught sight of the two women amidst the hustle and bustle going on. The orkun man approached and wiped his hands off on his apron. “Lady Reinhart! Good day to you,” He greeted her and then dipped his head at the shorter woman. “Ms. Adaega. What can I do for you two?”
“I want to go over a project I have for you.”
The man took a deep breath and quickly glanced around. “Please, right over here.”
He led them to a small table and cleared it off. One of his apprentices must have seen because the young man came running over, bringing paper and a writing utensil.
As they sat, he looked between them. “Alright, I am ready. What do you have for me?”
“Well, you have been working on a way to quickly make the Runecards, correct?”
He nodded. “Yes, My Lady. We have been making molds that we will then pour the metal into, then let it cool. We can currently make about twenty of the cards at a time,” He explained.
Adaega gestured at the apprentice and grabbed his paper and quill. Her director started taking notes. Sloane’s thoughts, again, went to a mana-powered tablet device for taking notes.
“That is a solid start. Right now Orthan is drawing up a stamp you will need to fabricate. You will then feed each card into a machine we’ll make that will then stamp–”
“Are you speaking of something similar to a coin press?”
Sloane’s eyes lit up. “Sort of. However, instead of hammers or anything, we are going to have this powered by mana. Feed the completed cards into the slot, tighten it down, then simply press a switch and the press will shoot down to stamp the cards. Now, this is how we are going to build the press…”
The man leaned in as she started describing her vision, which was basically a machine to stamp each card with the pre-set runes. The smith’s apprentice had to run and grab much more paper by the time they were done. Adaega had left the notes for the man to peruse, but at the end of the discussion, she was sure they had a solid plan.
Sloane left Adaega a bit later. She joined Stefan and four guards to take a carriage out of the campus. Tiberius sat perched on Stefan’s shoulder and chirped out a greeting as she approached the group.
“How are you, Stefan?”
“I am sore. I swear Nemura does this on purpose. It is like she has something against me.”
“What is ‘this’?” She asked.
He sighed. “Kick my ass during spars.”
She chuckled. “You’ll get her soon enough. Remind me to tell you about how the archetype in my world’s stories known as ‘rogue’ works. Perhaps it will help you as you practice and create more mana abilities.”
“I am open to literally anything that will give me an edge against that woman.”
“You know Nemura is only pushing you because she respects you and knows she has to work closely with you.”
“Tell that to my bruised arse.”
“So to speak!” She said with a laugh, ignoring his confused look in response. She held out her arm for Tiberius to transfer to before shaking her head and stepping into the carriage.
Nemura and several guards had escorted Sloane to the center from the small manor within the Upper Quarter that the city had gifted her after the initial assault was repelled due to the siege weapons she had enchanted. The quarter itself was where the social and political elites lived within the city. She appreciated the act, and it seemed that the Council wanted to gain a long-term relationship with her and the House. Granting her citizenship had been something completely unexpected and while it had granted many benefits that not all people living within enjoyed, it was still second to citizens who owned land within the city.
While Nemura had originally wanted to stick to the plan of staying on the campus, Ismeld and Gisele had grudgingly convinced her that a baroness should stay somewhere that better fit her station.
The city had even spared a few guards to help ensure she was protected. Never mind the fact that the quarter was already patrolled more extensively than almost anywhere else within the city.
Almost every door was open to her. She had priority access to nearly anything she wanted within the city. Sloane was sure that if there wasn’t a siege currently, her ability to push her House forward would be unencumbered by just about any obstacle. She needed to cultivate that relationship, and ensure that her House maintained that level of influence. Possibly even increase it.
As the carriage slowly drove through the streets, they came upon a large crowd. She looked out of the window and squinted, trying to see what the commotion was about.
She banged on the wall and the small window opened and Stefan’s face appeared.
“What’s going on ahead?”
“Something at the temple. It shouldn’t be too long.”
Sloane squinted her eyes. She had been told a lot about the religion here by the knights, but she had yet to actually experience it. She knew that Maud had been to the temple numerous times to use her magic to heal. Contrary to her initial worries when she had first arrived, the church hadn’t sought to coerce her into their service or anything. If anything, they just seemed thankful. It fought every instinct and notion she had of the concept. You know… no time like the present.
“Stefan, let’s go check it out.”
His surprise was pretty evident. “Are… you sure?”
“Yeah. Let’s go check out the temple. It’s about time I learned more, we have plenty of time this evening.”
He took a deep breath. “Alright. I will have the driver park, then we will go.”
Sloane nodded.
A short while later, the carriage jerked to a halt and the door opened. Sloane stepped out with Tiberius on her shoulder.
She followed behind Stefan as he and two of the guards helped clear a path for her through the crowd to the temple. Several priests stood outside and were speaking to the masses. A high-elven woman she suspected was a priestess of some sort walked up to them as they neared the entrance.
“May I help you, My Lady?”
Stefan stepped to the side and stared at Sloane with an expectant look that basically said ‘now what?’
“Hi! I am Sloane Reinhart. If it isn’t obvious, I am a terran.” She chuckled nervously. “I was hoping to come and learn more about your temple, especially since it seems that I’ll be here for a while. A friend of mine comes here regularly to help with healing.”
A flash of recognition fell over the woman and she smiled. “Ser Maud! She has been an absolute blessing. Of course, please, right this way. I would be happy to introduce you to the high priest.”
Sloane smiled. “Lovely! Thank you.”
She fell into step behind the woman, and she heard Stefan’s sigh as he walked at her side.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” he whispered.
“It sounds like you aren’t. That crowd seems to be enjoying whatever they’re doing,” she replied.
The raithe hesitated for a moment. “That is fair. They’re simply too stuffy for my tastes.”
She just shrugged. It was clear that the blade was not religious. Sloane preferred to make her own impressions of new things. They were clearly not surprised about the use of magic. Perhaps they had magic users, or even knowledge that she could utilize or trade for. Whatever came from this, it was sure to be interesting.
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