Phila, the 13th, 10,391
Six sat, letting what he learned sink in. Really, the report changed very little about the direction of Mountain’s End. Their somewhat remote location and lack of importance made Mountain’s End an undesirable target.
Six sighed. “Well. Fuuuuck. Glad you guys made it out of that shit storm.”
Narhurin laughed. “Thanks!”
Six was still unclear about some things. “Couple of questions. Why did the thieves guild help you?”
Bark explained, “oh, well. Uuuhhh, you see, they weren’t very happy about how Marcus was running things, the more uncontrolled legionaries were making it quite dangerous and the occupation was ruining their business in general. The Dark Man prefers the population fat and calm, not penniless and frantic.”
“The Dark Man?”
“Ah, uuuh, the leader of the thieves guild.”
“Oh, he calls himself the Dark Man? Kind of a lame name.”
Indigo coughed and grumbled, “you are a number…”
“You are a colour.”
The youth crossed his arms, scowling. “My parents gave me this name.”
Six shrugged. “Indigo is a fine name.”
Indigo didn’t know how to retort to what was essentially a comment and the exchange died.
Six thanked Bark and turned to Keegan. “You said you had previous history with Marcus? Do you mind if I ask what that was about? No worries if it's too personal or whatever. It doesn’t seem important in a security sense, I’m just curious.”
Keegan waved Six’s trepidation away. “Not at all, I feel no shame concerning my conduct with that man. I served under him as an officer, I witnessed his genius in battle but I can say now with confidence that his vicious insanity always laid under the surface. There was a compliance campaign we waged years ago against the kobold rebels of Nullbaram, during this he ordered me to murder civilians. I refused that order.-”
“My man!” Six held his gauntleted fist up for a bump but Keegan just looked at it curiously. Six let it drop.
Keegan continued. “I had served him well and honorably to that point. Committing my muscles to the fullest in his designs. He had a respect for me but his ego could not handle my insubordination. I received a demerit and was transferred to the frontier garrison we all came from. Intended to be forgotten.” Keegan cracked a good natured smile at his last remark.
Six grunted, it was easy to trust Keegan. “Thank you, I see that type of insubordination as evidence of good character. Now.” Six clapped his hands. “As I said before, Charles will place you into his system as he sees fit. I’m the boss about big things and Leoka manages the internal systems. Inform both Charles and me of any emergencies and leave any logistic requests with Leoka and she’ll present all that stuff to me during our meetings. Any questions?”
Irduth took this moment to speak up. “I must once again voice my objections to allowing a boy to control the military of an entire settlement. It goes against every imperial doctri-”
“We are not the empire,” Six cut him off.
Irduth’s eye twitched and he gogged in frustration.
“What do you know about the kid, Irduth?”
“He is skilled with a bow and is your loyal lapdog. The skills for leadership are developed over time, the boy-”
“I know he has the skills and potential, I’ve seen so first hand. An, you are right, it takes time to develop those skills. Which he is doing now, so by the time this remote forest village is something valuable he will be even more skilled than he is now. Perhaps a master.”
Irduth’s hands shook from the interruption and his eyes could kill. “But he is muldstanni and we are not culturally imperial nor do we educate in an imperial fashion. He would not be suited for such a role. Rather, I nominate Keegan to take the leadership position previously occupied by that boy. It would be the only j-”
“We are not the empire so why would his culture or education reaching an imperial standard matter?”
Irduth blustered for a bit, huffing and puffing.
“He has an imperial education in warfare, Irduth,” Six assured. “I am letting him apply his knowledge and gain experience. Also, yes, he is loyal.” Six tilted his head and fixed Irduth with a condescending stare. “I value loyalty.”
Irduth looked genuinely surprised. “He has an imperial education? I shall test him myself to confirm. It is rare to see one of our kind so cultured.” The priest went to stand.
“No.” Six gestured for him to stay. “This conversation is the end of it. I am explaining this to you for your own benefit. Not to justify myself, my honor, or my actions to you. Even if he failed whatever test you deemed appropriate, it would change nothing. Do not bother him, and I do not want you to attempt to influence him.”
Irduth went to speak but Six cut him off.
“I don’t trust you Irduth. I can tolerate you. Preach your sermons, provide religious guidance to those who want it. Be tolerant while you do it and don’t fuck with my shit.“
Irduth sat there, staring at Six with a look of furious incredulity. “I don't trust you.”
“That's fine, you don’t have to trust me. None of this is your responsibility.“
“It is not the responsibility of a foreigner to lead these people.”
Six laughed at Irduth. “I don’t care about your chosen morality, I run things because I killed the man who killed Alison. My strength allows me to lead here.”
Irduth slammed the table. “I call your strength into question.”
“Really? You’ve been here for like an hour and already you’re calling me a liar? Alright buddy.”
“There is nothing to prove your claim valid.”
“Alright. Sure, let's ignore the entire village that could speak to my strength. What's good enough for you Irduth? For your own benefit.”
“A test of strength. A duel. In front of the entire village, so there is no doubt.”
“I mean there’s already no doubt but me and you?” Six pointed back and forth between the two of them.
Irduth swept that idea away. “Keegan would be a more fitting challenge.”
Keegan immediately grunted, “no. I do not call his leadership into question, we are guests here.”
Irduth slowly screwed his face up in frustration, “Then yes, between me and you criminal. I shall show you the ways of Kynairos. If you are brave enough.”
Six analyzed Irduth.
Irduth
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Half-Orc
Level 14
Skill increase: Analyze - Initiate - 9
Nice.
From what Six understood about this world, most people wouldn’t get past level 1 or 2 so Irduth being at level 14 was undoubtedly impressive. Irduth had also seen combat even if he wasn’t strictly built for it. The man had been tested and Six felt that proved Irduth was not to be underestimated. That being said, he was confident against the fanatical priest.
“I don’t think you want these, buddy,” Six said, holding up his gauntleted hands.
“Coward,” grumbled Irduth.
Six slapped the table and pushed himself up, Nibbler hissing as she was rustled from her spot on his lap. “Alright, let's go have a tussle then.”
“The dog has some bite now that his trainer is gone eh?”
Six paused and looked at Irduth with a considering glare. “That was actually not too bad. Let’s go.” He led the soldiers back outside the leyhall and through the streets. He gestured for people to move. “Clear the way, we are headed to a duel!” He was purposefully making a scene, wanting attention for what was to come. Six was creating a spectacle.
They exited the east gate and walked a good ways away. Sure enough, a crowd was already beginning to form behind them. Six moved to one side of the clearing and began his stretches.
“This is highly inappropriate.” Keegan advised. “Below both your stations.”
Six nodded to the warrior with a grateful smile. “You are of course correct Keegan thank you.” He regarded Irduth. “This does not change what I want out of this.”
Irduth frowned and went to retort but Six pointed opposite him and shouted over whatever he had to say. “Shut up and take your spot, man. Let’s get this done, I have real work to get to.”
Irduth huffed but strode to thirty meters opposite of Six and took a combat stance. “Prepare yourself heathen. Kynairos will press your soul when you pass, I will provide just a note of such punishment. Take note.”
Six took on his most imperious noble voice he could muster, he projected for all to hear. “Insubordination and disrespect will not be tolerated. I will allow you one last chance to withdraw your challenge. Will you turn away Irduth?”
“Kynairos be praised! I will not!”
Six gestured and shouted to his people to, “back up.” Then looked to Bark. “We await your signal.”
The tsunken aelf obliged him lifting his arm up slowly and holding his lute at the ready.
Six dropped a bit lower, his muscles coiling like springs.
Bark strummed his lute and shouted at them to, “begin!”
Irduth opened with a simple spell. “Mana Dart!” his hand weaving the spell sigils and conjuring a spike of transparent mirage like reality fractures.
Six considered countering with a Mana Spear but didn’t want to kill the priest. Instead he provided himself cover with a series of Stone Walls as he took off towards Irduth.
The darts impacted harmlessly off the erupting stone barriers but Irduth was not surprised, having seen this ability of Six’s before. He began to circle around and he changed his spell to something more potent. “Summon Minor Avatar!”
A greenish magical circle appeared before Irduth and from it rose a huge bull of greenish copper. It snorted a whistle and pawed the ground.
Irduth screamed, “know the power of Kynairos!”
Six did not slow his charge and when the bull went to charge it instead slipped. From the earth, a stone hand gripped the hindleg of the summoned animal, and from the earth rose Poh Doh who grappled the beast into the ground and away from the dueling pair.
Greenish copper chains burst forth from the half-orcs palms and sought the incoming enchanter. But Six was nimble enough with his serpentine charge path that none of the seeking chains connected with him.
He could see the panic begin to set in on the priest's face but still there was more.
“Hymn of Judgement!”
A giant bell appeared but for a moment near Six and it rang once, a deep booming thing that replaced all other sounds. The reverberation went through Six like the most powerful sub bass he’d ever felt, it made him feel ill. He held down his stomach but the dizziness was unreal and he received a debuff called-
Deafened
He now realized he couldn’t hear shit. Motherfucker.
He heard no sound but Irduth was only ten meters away. He cast something and a giant copper scythe blade was conjured before Irduth and blasted towards Six.
Instantly Six went cold towards the situation. This was clearly something that could seriously injure him and Irduth must have known it.
Six reached forth and caught the giant blade in his gauntlets, activating their nullification ability. The gauntlets shone white with power as the silence became even more pronounced within Six and he wrenched the blade asunder, cracking it in two. The moment ended and the conjured scythe shards shattered into mana and blew away like dust in the wind.
Six sprinted at the man and batted away another chain, his gauntlet redirecting it and its destruction off into the forest. Barely five feet away Six cast a Stone Wall behind the priest and with a little hop and some forward rotation, loaded himself horizontally in the air.
He exploded forward with an empowered jump, a cloud appearing below his feet. His Slypheon Greaves not only allowed this midair maneuver but also increased the distance he could travel. Six rocketed right at Irduth and speared him backwards, both of them colliding with the conjured stone wall and smashing through it.
Irduth gasped and tried to mutter a “Rebuke of Ky- Huraghk!”
Six who landed on top of the priest immediately shoved two of his gauntleted fingers in the priest's mouth and fish hooked his head to the side. The spell canceled with the disruption of the verbal component and the miscast must have stung. Six didn’t stop there and laid haymakers and hammer blows into the side of Irduth’s head.
The man was tough but it was a downward spiral as with each hit Six could see more and more consciousness leave Irduth. Every strike made him more incapable of self defense and soon the senseless man lolled on the ground. His conjured bull fell apart into dust and Poh Doh was free from struggle, lumbering closer to watch over Six. Six hit Irduth a few more times before a scaled hand stopped his fist.
Kali Kik stood next to Six. A disapproving look on her face. She moved to heal the priest and Six did not stop her.
Six stood to see the crowd watching. Their reactions were split. Some spoke animated about the fight, others stood by with morose looks, shaken by the loss of the priest. Keegan looked at Six with a considering, thoughtful gaze.
Irduth soon came to and after getting ahold of himself, fixed Six with a glare.
Six smiled down at him. “Anyways welcome to Mountain’s End. Glad you wanna help. I have things to do, Peace!” He flashed them a peace sign and strode back towards the village, Nibbler on his heels.
Irduth could be a problem and Six would have sent him away but tearing him away from his group seemed like it could cause unwanted friction. Not that they seemed particularly attached to him, but soldiers could be irrationally unified and he had stayed during the schism so it was probable that his position in the group was cemented.
Six went to find Leoka and discuss where to put the structures to house these soldiers. This was a tangible increase in the village's martial strength, at least an overall doubling of their power. This was also a massive increase on the resource demands of the village. Between the prisoners and the soldiers they would run out of food long before the harvest could be brought in. There was still a lot of room in this glade for farms and much of it was under his buff. Eventually, the farms would be expanded. But, he needed to bring in food now.
His mother had been a crazy narcissist but she’d always kept him fed. Food was important and it was his responsibility to provide stability to these people. That included making sure the village didn’t starve.
Six dodged through the bustle of the village and hopped with ease over a trundling cart. He avoided a pack of shrieking children as they played their own game, weaving in and out of the traffic.
The trolls were a large priority but he couldn’t wait for an indeterminate amount of time to have them tracked down. He couldn’t feed everyone with Plant Growth and still progress in skill and overall level, it would take every last bit of mana to produce enough produce.
There was nothing more to optimize between the hunting parties and the town patrols. They were already bringing back as much as they could.
He needed to make that trip he’d been putting off. It was unlikely that Olisrosa had much food to spare but it was his only short term option that might give him enough breathing room to get to the first harvest, which with the plant growth buff left about one month left before harvest. And he had a lot of gold.
He just needed to get enough food to get them to the harvest.
He found Leoka and they talked about the new housing projects and their placement. Six also brought Franklin in for a talk about a sewer system and waste processing. The new soldiers could also contribute to the required labour for their own housing, which would help the needed buildings go up even faster. Six had no clue about any of that but he brought the concept to their attention. Franklin was aware of sewers but didn’t understand the idea of a waste processor. Still, it planted the idea. They would figure it out.
He informed both Charles and Leoka that he would be making a trip to Olisrosa and that they would be holding down the fort in his absence.
“Charles, I'm leaving Poh Doh here and he is under your command until I get back.” He was still worried about a troll attack and Poh Doh was one of the best defensive assets available to them. The earth golem would stay.
The young muldstanii gulped but stood straight before giving Six a small bow. “Thank you Six.”
“No problem, watch out for those trolls. They will fucking kill you. Try to avoid battling them until I return,” Six said. “Let everyone know I'm gone, but I’ll be back.”
Leoka, the young village girl smiled and waved him away. “Of course we will.”
Six told Gatbark to prepare at his earliest and the dwarf seeing the lord’s seriousness told him he could be ready the next day. That was good, there was no time to waste.
Six spent the rest of the day preparing some rations and checking his travelling gear. He ate dinner with Ravna and told her about his abrupt trip.
“With all these new people it's crucial that I go out and secure some more food for us. So, yeah, tomorrow morning is when I leave.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? It's crucial that you go on this trip?”
“Yes.”
“No one else can trade for the village?”
“Well, Gatbark is actually gonna be doing the trading but I think I should still go.”
“Why?”
“Well for one, I don’t trust Gatbark to accurately report his negotiations so I gotta watch his ass. Secondly, I want to be there to authorize any opportunity that Gatbark may create beyond his initial objectives. Third, travel is good for growth and I need to experience more of this world to learn how to exploit it in a way I find appropriate. I’ve only been to Olisrosa once and much came of it, the second time should yield good returns I think.”
“I don’t like the idea of my partner away for long periods of time.”
“Won’t take nearly as long to get there, I can travel much faster when I’m not scouting for a marching column the size of a village. Don’t worry NIbbler’s coming and she can watch my back.”
“Stop joking. I don’t like it. I want you here.”
“Yea, I’d love to stay but duty calls.”
She smirked a bittersweet smile and they enjoyed their meal, and then each other until the late hours of the night.
That morning Six left the leyhall and met with Gatbark before heading to the west gate. As he approached he saw a small group of people assembled. They were the officers from yesterday.
Keegan waved and called over.
“My, lord we seek to accompany you to Olisrosa.”
That was a little surprising as they had just got here. “Uuh, ok, why? And have you cleared this with Charles?”
“We didn’t have time to stop off at a major city and spend the gold we had, we now wish to spend our money on certain industries that we find the village lacking and yes, we cleared it with the Captain.”
“The Captain?”
“Captain Charles.”
“Ah yes, very well. What are we lacking for my own knowledge?”
“A decent glassblower and paper maker,” grumbled Indigo from the back.
“Enough metal ingots required for regular maintenance of a well equipped force,” Keegan said.
This was something Six was attempting to solve with the bandits being trained into miners. He had sent out a few prospectors and would hear about options for mines soon. “I’ll handle that, thank you Keegan.”
“And booze is too limited here,” Nar added.
“Yea it is,” Bark agreed with a sad staccato of notes.
“Jebbedo asked me to buy him a bunch so that's what I’m doing, hope that's ok Six.” Nar explained.
Six waved it away. “I don’t care but thanks for mentioning it, appreciate it. You guys ready?”
After an affirmative Six led them away from the village and into the shady depths of the rainforest, away from the place he now called home.