V7: Chapter 11

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Interlude: Riegert

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Jack called it a flying box, but in truth it more resembled the flying fortress.

The massive construction was built with the same concept as the transports pulled by flying horses. It would be expensive beyond belief to enchant a transport to fly and carry weight. Instead, what was required to achieve the effect was broken down, specialized, and made stronger. For example, one of the magics used to lift the transport was a simple Float. A charming spell that a passing hobbyist could learn, but could be used to great effect by trained mages to do as the name suggested and float.

Until the magic was gone, or cancelled, one would float in place. A human without wings could not move in the air without using some form of magic. The regular Float spell that most could cast could lift up a regular adult mortal for a few minutes and hold them in place. If the spell was cast one another, it could be easily disrupted by just force of will. Strong, powerful mages, however, could float and move with magic channeled behind them.

The Float spell was modified, refined, and removed and cast upon load bearing places beneath the transport. The mages powering it would activate it and then it would proceed to be pulled along by flying horses. Many who did not know that was how we achieved flight was shocked by the revelation, as many believed we cracked some secret spell that allowed flight wholesale.

No.

Jack bid us to break things down to the smallest part, then improve them as much as possible, and implement them to do their duty. Like cogs in a clock, each small piece was refined to do its duty, until we now have our current, flying fortress.

The underside of it was studded with hundreds of blocks that kept it afloat in the air. Its back held multiple enchanted blocks, which propelled it forward when magic was cast into them. A series of pulleys in the captain's cabin signaled to mages when to push magic into the specialized, enchanted blocks. Lowering magic in the floating stones made the structure descend, increasing it made it ascend. Having only the right side of the propelling blocks ignite, made it turn left, and vice-versa when the left side was solely ignited. Half as much of the propelling blocks were at the front, to allow it to slow down, stop, and reverse in half as much time.

It was a slow and cumbersome transport, which takes a week to travel the same length as a regular transport would a day, but it was also far more durable and the amount its hold contained was staggering. Its hold right now contained thousands of guardians, frozen, and packed close together and a thousand Conquerors could board it to be launched after, once it was close enough to its target. Overall, it's cargo capacity more than made up for its cost, because even though it took fifty mages to power it had the capacity of a nearly a thousand transports.

We can easily use copies of it to transport vast amounts of war materials, or regular goods, across the continent.

With time, we could cover it in weapons, in more armor, and all the equipment needed to wage war.

And, it can be used against the terrible creatures I found in my expedition.

For now, though, it would be used against the Death Lord.

"I've just gotten the message, Captain. The last of the preparations are complete." Gunther spoke up, and I turned his way. He was clad in all black with his status as an officer on his chest. The uniform was simple, but the gold arrow on his chest symbolized his position as my right-hand man. His word was as good as mine, and he handled the preparations after I set them in motion. "The vessel is ready to begin its journey."

Exactly on time.

"Give them the signal to launch." I ordered, and Gunther spoke to several waiting attendants. Soon the messages were away. Horns on the ground blared, to get the attention of those above, and it blared in turn. At the communication center, the right code was set and large flags were raised by pulleys and levers. They needed to be large to be easily observable from the height that the vessel was at. "And, send a message to the men that we'll be going to our front in two days."

"It's time, then?" Gunther asked, and I nodded.

"It is time to put the Death Lord to rest, yes." I crossed my arms and considered what lay ahead. The creature was cornered and was unveiling a new weapon to try and break out. The creature that Jack described in his letters was worrisome, especially with the set of abilities he postulated the creature would have. Its size and strength were no laughing matter, but the fact it could raise the dead was a problem. It could turn the armies launched against it to its own after killing them. "Once we're there, we'll be contacting Priests and Paladins sent by the Wardens to offer protection against magic and the like. Make sure the men have the coin to vent their lusts and not to make fools of themselves."

"Aye. Don't want the ones keeping our forces intact troubled."

"On the contrary, I don't want our men preyed upon by the Warden's clergy." I laughed as Gunther grunted and shook his head. Young men, especially ones without wives, were weak enough to wily affection. The Wardens were trained in seduction, one and all, and they could easily poach our soldiers if we were not careful. "Remember two decades ago, when we lost Richard to that female Warlord?"

Gunther grunted, before shaking his head and palming his face.

"I'd forgotten, but now you've reminded me. Cavalry captain. Could've made it far, but got enticed and next thing we know that whole group got hit by two other Warlords… in other words, the Academy."

"We won't have to worry about the Academy, but it's best that we make sure it doesn't happen. The young ones under our command can give too much, even in passing." I instructed and Gunther assented with a grunt. These new soldiers knew much. Just having one as a passing instructor would speed up the other nations immensely. The codified tactics our troops had, how a single soldier should act, were very generalized… but any scholar could find more. Mostly in what our soldiers didn't have to worry about at all. How they didn't have to learn how to forage, how they didn't need to suture their own wounds, or how if their officers were killed they were to push and push, until another called them back. Too much could be given in exchange for one lost soldier. "I'll be instructing a few… custodians to look after them, but it's best they don't come into play."

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Gunther nodded, his brow briefly furrowing at my words, before we moved on with the massive construct taking flight above us, while we went to speak to our troops.

All under the shadow of a Citadel that seemed ever closer to piercing the clouds.

It was almost hard to believe that just a decade ago, I lived front tent to tent fighting battles on horseback for little more than coin.

…

Interlude: Rita

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The makeshift artillery of the Guardians was incredible to behold.

From hexagonal hives carried on wagons by undead horses, there came forth thousands of Undead Familiars. Unlike the normal Familiars used by Mages, which required them to bond with a creature and see through its eyes and senses while directing it, Undead Familiars were semi-independent and followed commands. Their necromancer creators could not see through their eyes, could not sense through them at all, but neither did they suffer if the Undead creation was destroyed.

So, the Guardians were able to use dead, flying creatures explosive munitions in immense numbers.

Twenty of the hexagonal hives were dismounted and activated once taken off the wagon and a great deluge of flying Undead issued forth. Celia informed me they were mostly made of Undead pigeons, which they already raised for food, and bred and matured quickly. In life they were fattened to make food, and in death their bones were assembled and enchanted… in a deliberately unstable manner, so that they would come apart and explode in blooms of ghastly, azure flame in the sky.

One of the Undead creatures, upon striking an unarmored and unprotected horse's cadaver, blew the corpse cleanly in half. Therefore, I could estimate that each one was a flying munition with the same explosive power of the cannons carried by Conquerors for their anti-material and anti-air work.

"I can see you, assassin." Alexis, one of the budding Champions of the Guardians, spoke to me. I looked down and found her at the base of the tree I sat upon. She glared at me with her helmet tucked under one arm and her free hand on the pommel of her sword. It was a blade that would come alight with ghostly flame, capable of bypassing most physical armor. Her armor was specialized to provide physical protection, as her body was inherently resistant to magical attacks. "Pray tell, what are you doing here watching our weapons at work?"

"I find their launches beautiful, so I decided to come see them closer." The flocks of Undead enchased themselves in magic as they ascended through the sky. A transparent shell of power that reflected their physical forms before their deaths came upon their bodies. Each one was different from one another, each one an individual in their own way, in the way they flew, in how they flew closer to friends, and in the patterns of their feathers. Even in death, even as little more than game birds raised en masse, they had souls that manifested after their demise to take one final flight. "Does Lady Celia have need of me?"

I descended from my perch off the tree and landed beside her.

Alexis was young, just barely past her second decade, and already immortal. That spoke of incredible talent for her years. Still, the scent of life clung to her a bit. Life still clung to her as a halfling of the Vampiric race. Her true ascension was still not completed… and if she failed and was found disloyal the blessing given to her could be undone and she would be rendered mortal once more. Celia was learning her limits, and becoming a better leader of it.

"No, I searched for you of my own volition. I know you not, yet you will ride with us into battle. I need your measure, if not through a spar then at least to see you practice with your weapons." Distrust was plain in her gaze, but she swallowed it in favor of better doing her duties. Not only that, but she asked me to reveal my strength to her. Doing so would be allow us to fight better together, and give her the ability to fight against me better. Celia has found a good Champion. "Morgan showed us her abilities. You ask of you to do the same."

I shook my head.

"You've been fooled. Morgan showed you what you wanted to see. She showed you nothing more and nothing less. She's a cruel, effective teacher." I informed her and gestured for her to follow. I had my bow wrapped at my back, unstrung, and we walked together to the Guardian's camp. They used Undead Laborers to rapidly create fortifications, make latrines, and dig out shelters. It was more an entrenchment complex than a camp, but it was functional and housed troops safely and even had plenty of concealment. Hm. If it was bombed from above, the smallness of the rooms and the ways the tunnels were arranged would limit explosive shock waves. I saw it all as good foresight. Morgan would probably see it as how much Celia feared our King. "Did you leave her with your lady alone? She may be whispering thoughts unbidden to her at this very moment."

"…You speak of the tactician like a viper in our midst. Do you fear this woman's ambitions in your lord's presence?"

I shook my head and answered without hesitation.

"There is only one being Morgan respects and honors in this world, and it is our King of Wisdom. If she did not, then I would've killed her and died doing so since I gained her full measure." I bluntly told Alexis the truth of the matter, as to convey to her the deadliness Morgan posed to anyone who was not the King of Wisdom. She fawned over him, sought to protect him, and worked diligently to raise herself up in his gaze. That is all because she saw his strength, his power, and his ability to lead. She knew of his true circumstance, of Khanrow's initial use of him as a puppet, but we all knew the truth. Jack rose to prominence and ruled over us all. "Never leave Morgan unwatched. She will teach you not to trust. Never give her access to things you do not want her to see. She will take everything you do not lock away. Never lower your guard in her presence. She will carve out your heart with a smile."

I did my best to try and convey Morgan's abilities to Alexis, but I saw doubt in her eyes… and I sighed and shook my head.

She will have to learn on her own, then.

It will be a very painful lesson for a very meagre reward.

I changed the subject.

"I will do as you ask of me, Knight of the Guardians. Lead me to where I can show you my skills. I only ask of you to do the same, as my usual partner is with another."

Alexis nodded, before recognition came upon her features.

"I have heard of the Sword of Wisdom… and what she is meant to do in our coming campaign. Can she truly defeat that abomination on her own?"

Our King bid me to follow Morgan, as we would work with Celia to try and kill the Death Lord under the cover of their artillery fire while protected by the Warden's priests.

Meanwhile, Ilych and Conquest would go forth and fight the hordes of Undead and the abomination the Death Lord created.

Conquest would fight with the army.

Ilych the monstrosity that threatened to end all life on the continent.

I feared for my friend, but found comfort in the fact that our King bid her to do her duty by killing the beast.

"The King of Wisdom bid her to kill the beast, so the Sword of Wisdom shall do so."

I stated the truth, and pushed back my fears.

It shall be done.

Ilych will succeed.

But will she perish in the process and return as another person entirely?