“They have evacuated all military personnel up to here,” said Adara, pointing to a line cutting across the territory of the Imperium. She had insinuated herself into the army in the months since the run of dungeons she’d conquered with Zeke. At first, he’d thought that they’d accepted her primarily because of the relationship she shared with him, but he’d quickly discovered the error of that line of thinking. The kobolds recognized her expertise, and they’d begun to lean on it during the ongoing war against the Radiant Host. “Most of the cities are still occupied, but the situation is quite bad. The army took most of the supplies and conscripted most of the strong fighters. What’s left can’t really support themselves.”
Zeke sighed. “We have to save them.”
“Some of them attack us on sight,” Adara pointed out. “They’re incapable of doing much damage, but –”
“It doesn’t matter. Get some humans, gather food and other supplies, and at least make sure they have enough to get them through for a couple of months,” Zeke ordered.
“That will be quite taxing on our stores,” objected Kianma, who was sitting primly next to Silik. The pair were rarely apart. “How far should we push it?”
“Make sure we have enough for the tower. Also, offer the opportunity to join. I don’t think many will take us up on that, but things would be a lot better for them here,” Zeke said. “If we’re running short, we can always send some hunting parties back to the Muk’ti Plains. There are plenty of herds there. I’ll go myself to speed up the harvesting with my looting ability. If we run out, I can go back to the water dungeon. There’s no shortage of fish there, and it’s almost all edible. I can spend a week and harvest enough meat to feed us for months.”
“What about Westport? We still don’t have much control there, and it’s quickly becoming a haven for criminal activity. If we leave it like that, it’ll become a pirate city in the space of a year,” Jasper said. He’d spent quite some time in Westport of late, and he’d managed to get a handle on the situation better than most. He’d also struck up a fast friendship with Tucker, who’d remained behind. For all that the alchemist knew the city, he wasn’t really the sort to take on that kind of responsibility. Instead, he spent most of his time trying to source new natural treasures for his experiments.
And Eveline encouraged him, explaining that a high-level alchemist was an invaluable asset for the tower. She also hoped that Tucker might figure out how to help the kobolds reach their potential.
“We don’t have time to hold that city. Keep our foothold,” he ordered. They’d set up the gate in the most defensible structure in town. Once a martial guild that had produced most of the gnomish guards, it was a veritable fortress atop the plateau at the center of the city. “Keep a presence, but if they want to descend into piracy and lawlessness, then let them. We never intended to take the city in the first place, and we don’t have the resources to hold it. Not while we’re fighting a war. So long as nobody crosses the line, just let them do whatever they want.”
Of course, everyone knew what Zeke considered to be crossing the line. He’d made it abundantly clear, even if he hadn’t actually codified it.
“Above all, keep advancing through the Imperium. I know it’s a big job, but we’re going to rid the world of Shar Maelaine’s influence,” he said.
After that, the meeting progressed to more detailed plans. Zeke was fine with giving them basic directions, but it was beyond the scope of his abilities to direct the entire invasion. He knew his strengths and weaknesses, and he had no intention of trying to insinuate himself into acts for which he had no talent. Doing so would be counterproductive.
“It’s a good thing you found competent subordinates,” Eveline said as he made his way to the Lord’s Manor. Another copy of her stayed back to liaise with the other leaders of the tower. Her input was integral to ensuring that the tower ran the way it was supposed to, and she’d already proven herself invaluable by not only making it much more efficient, but finding a few pockets of rebellion. Those people had been killed when kobold legionnaires had attempted to apprehend them. “It lets you focus on bashing things with your hammer.”
“I suppose,” Zeke admitted.
If he hadn’t lucked into finding people like Silik, Kianma, and all the others, he wouldn’t have been trying to fight a war in the first place. Instead, he’d have simply strode into the Imperium, picked a few fights, and battled it out. And he’d have probably died. Zeke was strong – especially now – but he wasn’t powerful enough to take on whole armies of high-level people.
Not yet, at least. He hoped to change that.
Upon reaching the Lord’s Manor, he was surprised to find Pudge sitting a few dozen feet off the main path next to one of the fountains. The big bearkin sat with his legs crossed, eyes closed, and his hands resting on his knees.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Is he meditating?” Zeke wondered inwardly.
“He is,” Eveline stated. “He does it every day. You’d know that if you paid a little more attention to him. I know you’re busy, but you really should make time for him. He has that little pig girl to keep him busy, but –”
“Don’t call her that. She has a name.”
“Whatever,” Eveline said dismissively. “My point is that not everyone is a battle maniac like you. Other people care about spending time with their friends and family. You should remember that, or you’re going to end up alienating the people closest to you.”
The notion of just hanging out was anathema to Zeke. Somehow, he thought that if he let his momentum fade – even just a little – he would shudder to a stop. And if that happened, thousands would die. His army had yet to encounter the true elites of the Imperium, but everyone knew it was coming. When it did, their only real defense was his presence on the battlefield. Not only could he stand up to them one-on-one, but he could also ensure their survival via his twin domains that would empower them enough to see them through.
Maybe some of his own elites – like Silik, Talia, and Pudge – could make a difference, but Zeke knew that he was the lynchpin of any strategy to confront a true powerhouse. As such, he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders. If he wasn’t strong enough, everyone would die.
But he knew Eveline was right.
So, he quickly closed the distance between him and Pudge and sat next to him. After only a few moments, he was itching to move on, but he remained in place for another couple of minutes until, finally, Pudge opened his eyes.
“You don’t need to do this.”
“What?” Zeke asked.
“This,” Pudge said, gesturing between himself and Zeke. “We’re fine. I know you’re busy. So am I. We don’t need to be together every second of the day. We both know what it means to be family.”
Zeke was about to answer, but he thought better of it. Pudge wasn’t wrong. He still felt as close to the bearkin as ever. It was a bond between two brothers, and it would last through any across any amount of time or distance. Still, he wanted to show Pudge that he cared. “How are you doing?”
“Doing well. I’m trying to advance my path. It is…difficult. I am close, though.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Pudge shook his head. “I don’t think so. Having enemies to fight is enough.”
“I don’t think we’ll see much peace going forward, so you’ll definitely have that going for you.”
“Good.”
After that, the pair went silent, and Pudge once again closed his eyes. For a while, Zeke just sat there with him, but it didn’t take him long before he found himself growing a little jittery. He needed to act. He needed to do something. Otherwise, he would go crazy. So, he returned to his manor, plopped himself down in his meditation chamber, and took a page out of Pudge’s book.
He didn’t ponder his path, but rather, started working on the evolution of one of his skills. It was the last one he wanted to figure out before beginning his descension to the next circle of Hell, but he knew it would take some time before he managed to put it all together. It was the biggest shift in purpose he’d yet seen, and as such, it would require quite a lot of effort before he could progress past the planning stage.
Still, it was a soothing process that continued for almost the entire day before Eveline interrupted him. She said, “You’re needed in the Pillar.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Talia has returned,” Eveline stated. “And she has found Micayne’s hiding place.”
At first, Zeke had been a little worried about his friend. She’d been gone for so long, and though he knew she could take care of herself, the world was a dangerous place that could kill even the strongest people. If Talia ran into a threat like the dragon, there was a very real chance that she would die.
“Is she okay?” he asked.
“She’s fine. A little worn out, but her stats are high enough that she could keep going almost indefinitely without much in the way of adverse effects. It would probably do her good, actually,” Eveline answered.
With that, Zeke hurried out of the manor and to the platform that would take him to the Residential District. After that, he rushed to the cylindrical building at the center of the expansive space. The district itself had grown to encompass miles and miles of apartment buildings, with a multitude of palaces having sprung up. There was no rhyme or reason to it, either. The only rule was that the more important people tended to get lodgings closest to the center.
Eventually, he reached his destination, then let Eveline direct him to where he could find Talia. Predictably, she was in the same meeting room that he’d left only a few hours before. This time, though, instead of a group representing the tower’s entire leadership, only Kianma, Sasha, and, oddly enough, Pudge were present.
And Talia, of course.
She looked a little worse for wear. Not physically, of course. Her pale skin was unblemished, and she didn’t seem as if she’d been wounded. However, her armor couldn’t say the same. It was ripped and torn in a multitude of places, making her look like she was wearing rags rather than expensive armor.
“How are you?” Zeke asked, rushing to her side. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
She shook her head. “I’m okay. I found him, Zeke. He’s a long way off, but I found him.”
Then, she launched into a story of her journey, detailing the search she had undertaken. She mentioned a few enemies she’d been forced to slay, but her explanations were short and to the point. Likely, she was underselling them.
In any case, she eventually came to the meat of the discussion, describing the castle she’d found on the coast. More importantly, she talked about the creatures she’d seen from afar.
“That sounds like a necromancer’s lair,” Zeke agreed. “But did you see him? Did you sense him?”
She shook her head. “I know h is there, though. Biding his time. Waiting and building his strength until he can slaughter more people. We have to kill him, Zeke. No one else even knows he’s there. And even if they did, they would not be capable of killing him.”
“I think you’re right,” he said. “But we need a plan. Otherwise, there’s no chance of being successful.”
After that, they entered into a detailed discussion concerning just that. Destroying the Imperium was one thing, but they’d still be there in a few weeks. He had unfinished business with Micayne.