To Lanek’s surprise, the myrmidons maintained their protective formation around his people all the way to the monastery before turning back for the Depths. He had expected them to leave once the cats had been collected. As they passed the monastery, Talwarg sent Khurzag with the majority of the warrior to guard their home while he continued along with Lanek and the rest of the Talon.
“So, why are we taking the cats to the tree? The monastery is much safer at the moment.” Nerek asked.
“I have no idea. Eldros said to take them to the tree and house them nearby while I do the whole dedication thing. Can I ask you to get some volunteers to take care of them while I’m doing that? It’s getting quite cold and I don’t want any of them to freeze to death or get attacked while I’m focused on the tree.”
“Of course. I don’t think we’ll have a shortage of volunteers.” Talwarg said with a gentle smile as he watched young and old goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs fawn over the cats. “Hell, I would volunteer myself if I could get away with it.”
Nerek sighed theatrically before breaking into a knowing smile. “Go on, Talwarg. Stay. We can do without you for eight days. I know more than anyone how much you missed having the little beasts around. Besides, if I need anything, you are little more than a ten minute walk from the monastery.”
Talwarg didn’t hesitate to accept Nerek’s offer and rushed ahead to start preparing the area for his charges. When he was approached by the others, he explained that volunteers were needed to stay with the cats for a little over a week, at which point Nerek and Lanek were flooded with potential volunteers. Between the two of them, they selected a half dozen warriors and an equal number of adult civilians to remain near the little animals, much to the dismay of the children. Lanek felt for them, but he didn’t want children to be exposed to danger this far from the bulk of the Talon’s warriors.
Yeah, ten minutes away at a leisurely walk didn’t sound like much, but it could prove deadly if they were under attack. Even as he thought about that, he once again marveled at the size of Caelis. He wasn’t sure quite how large the population had been, but his estimates put the area of the city at around five square miles, or the size of the city of Rome during the height of the Empire. Granted, a large chunk of Caelis had not been lived in and had been cordoned off due to the dungeon.
Lanek found himself thinking about pushing into the remaining areas of the city, such as the noble’s quarter and the royal palace to the northeast, but refrained. He could go by himself, but that would serve no real purpose and he knew that they didn’t have the manpower to push that far, not with the orc stronghold. They were ridiculously outnumbered there as Shel had pointed out that her former clan had more than three hundred members living in and around the garrison. No, he was better served focusing on the grove, the monastery, their defenses, and crops for now and only poking the hornet’s nest once he had found more people to join them.
Fuck it, that’s a problem for the future. I’ll look into it later, maybe this winter if I get bored.
They arrived at the tree only to find Talwarg standing outside a large building that he was already working on. In the short time since he had arrived, he had managed to find the one building with intact shutters and a door that could be easily repaired. It also helped that there was a large hearth on both the first and second floors. Judging from the open space on both floors, Lanek figured that it must have been a restaurant or gathering place of some kind.
Ivan and Ograch excused themselves to go claim their quarters and so Ivan could get back to work on the waste disposal and water purification systems in the other side of the gatehouse from Lanek. He wasn’t sure who would be staying over there aside from the two of them, but he didn’t mind staying on his side on his own as Lanek very much enjoyed his privacy.
Lanek approached Shel as their people unloaded the weaker of the cats into the structure, making sure they remained wrapped in warm blankets as they started the fires. Meanwhile, Talwarg directed some of the archers to take position on the roof, stating that there was a hatch on the second floor that led up. He also had the rest take extra blankets that they affixed to the windows, providing additional insulation against the growing cold.
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“Shel. I wanted to say thank you. Talwarg told me that you organized this whole thing and I saw what you did with the earth elementals. It was impressive.”
Shel eyed him uncertainly before nodding in acknowledgment. “Thank you for saying so, it was the first time I used that spell and I wasn’t sure how effective it would be.”
“For what it’s worth coming from me, it was damn fine work. Without the elementals, we would have lost a lot of people. As it is, we came through with only a few injuries.”
“I’m happy that we made it through so lightly. And it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do something noble like saving these creatures. So, what’s next for you?” Shel asked curiously, just as reluctant to end this conversation as Lanek considering the overall pleasant tone of it. She knew as well as he did that they needed to bury the hatchet for the good of everyone. There simply weren’t enough people in the Talon to waste time feuding with any of them.
“I’m going to empower the tree and try to make it a grove of Eldros before getting started on some defenses. I don’t know if you heard from Talwarg, but the empowerment process alone is going to take over a week and cost me 10,000 mana.”
Shel whistled. “10,000 mana? That is insane. How many cores will you need to pull that off?”
“Oh, none at all. I’m trying to stay away from those things for a while, besides I can regenerate mana naturally.”
“Really? That is a rare gift.” She went quiet for a moment before asking another question. “You speak so casually of your god, is that really okay or does it have to do with where you come from?”
“Hmm, it may be a little of both. For my part, I wasn’t really a religious person back home, maybe a little spiritual. I didn’t believe in any gods or higher powers. However, I would be surprised if any of the Primordials really care about how they are spoken of. It fits with what I’ve seen of Eldros, he speaks casually to everyone around him, animals included. Like I’ve said before, their focus is on their domains and not worshippers. Unlike the gods, it seems like the Primordials will continue to exist without any followers as long as one of their domains remain. Oh, and just so you know, the Hordefather is pretty informal as well. He does not seem like he will tolerate disrespect, but he also doesn’t have the patience or desire for formal speech, bowing, and stuff like that. Hell, he told me to call him by his name well before he gave me my title or joined in on the whole Chosen thing.”
“Really? That’s surprising to me. Every story I’ve read paints the gods… a bit more…”
“Stuffy? Uptight? Having a stick up their ass?” Shel’s eyes widened and she stifled a laugh as Lanek continued. “Some might have been and there may be others out there that still exist that have that mentality, but the ones I have met have felt like decent beings. I’m not trying to get you to change your approach to your god, just sharing my experiences since you brought it up.”
“Thank you, it is not often that one can get a firsthand account from someone who actually spoke to a god without prayer and ritual being involved. Not even Nerek can do that.”
“No problem, feel free to ask if you come up with any other questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. Anyway, you know my plans for the near future, what are yours?” Lanek asked, curious about what she would be doing over the next few months.
“Nerek has asked me to churn the soil in the plaza. I imagine that by the time the stones are removed and I have moved the fertile soil to the surface, winter will most likely have run its course. It is very slow going. I only wish that there was someone else to help me with the process.”
Lanek thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Do you know Glasha? Ivan told me about her yesterday.”
“No, I don’t think I’ve met a Glasha. Why?”
“Ivan told me that Glasha is one of the goblins and is already showing an affinity and has the potential to become an Earth Mage. He spoke with Nerek about getting her on a training regimen that would allow her to be able to reshape stone as soon as possible since my efforts here and at the monastery will result in a lot of stone scraps. With that skill, she will be able to combine the scraps into suitable building material once more. I’m sure that between you and Nerek, you could come up with a plan that would see her help you with the plaza in a way that gets her the training she needs to reach that goal.”
Shel looked visibly excited at the thought. “An Earth Mage would definitely be a huge help with my work, even if she is still at a low level. Thank you again, Lanek! I will speak to Nerek once my work here is done!”
“Glad to be of help, Shel. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve been putting off starting the mana drain long enough.”
Shel looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. “Good luck, Lanek. Don’t worry about a thing, we’ll take care of everything while you are being sucked dry.”
“What a lovely way to put it.” Lanek grumbled before winking at the orc and approaching the tree.
Would you like to dedicate the [???] tree to Eldros?
Yes.