Chapter 1.17

Karson

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Over the next week, I made regular trips to either town or to the refugee encampment. Recruiting was surprisingly easy, and Ax had so many projects going that he didn’t want to make a trip himself. Zahra accompanied me often, and I was truly starting to enjoy her company. I understood why she wanted to hang around. It was probably the first time she’d been able to have normal conversations without her visions interfering. Sometimes, knowledge is a curse.

So I settled into a routine of sorts. While mornings were for recruiting and spending time with Zahra, the afternoons were for working with Ax on enchantments. With the help of a helmet to model off of, he worked out a conjuration that would summon a standard-sized corinthian style helmet. It had a very Spartan-esque style, with long check guards and angled eye holes and noseguard. It left a small opening between the cheek guards, yet protected from all but a perfectly straight on blow. I was tempted to tell him he was a few centuries too early, but since they were superior in design to the Mycenaean style of helmet, offering better protection of the face and neck, I didn’t object.

Ax made a simple thin arch of stone with a flat base that we set on a table. Together we worked out a way to magically reinforce the metal and ward against physical damage, then tied it to a heat-absorption spell that treated the metal of the helmet as a mana battery. The heat absorption would cool the wearer and fuel the reinforcements. Each of the spell components and the conjuration was laid into the stone arch over the course of an afternoon, ending with a binding spell to tie them all together. Finally, we added a toggle switch to the side of the arch and tied the whole thing to the geothermal mana pump.

The new helmet conjuration machine consumed a massive amount of mana, and took about thirty minutes per helmet. This appeared to max out our current geothermal mana pump. This led to our next project of improving the pump design. The bulk of the energy cost of creating the first one, according to Ax, came from the banishing of the earth and stone as it went down. He had made a hole far wider than the actual copper pipe that carried the spell. Also, he’d only gone down about 7200 feet or so, and the deeper we could go, the better. Copper was the easiest metal to conjure, and held enchantments better than stone, so was still our best option. So instead, we made a six inch long spike of copper, and half an inch in diameter. It was attached to a six-inch by six-inch copper cube. With this spike, we wove an enchantment that would banish a half-inch diameter hole straight down, and conjure a pipe down to a depth nearly quadruple that of Ax’s first design. The copper cube was a simple mana battery.

After charging the mana battery overnight, we tested the new pump, placing it in the corner of the new house. It only took a few seconds for a small hole to appear, and the spike slid into it easily so that we didn’t have to hold it up in place anymore. At the end of the day, the spell finished, and we had a new power source. When I tied into it, the amount of mana available was astoundingly high.

With this new power source, Ax built several simple machines for making bronze arrowheads, spearheads, and butt spikes for the bottom of the spears. We built another machine to make bronze greaves, and a third to make bracers. Finally, once we’d worked out all the kinks of the system, we started producing bronze cuirasses. This was the most complex part, and relied very heavily on the design of the armor I’d purchased in the Assos marketplace. It was actually a multiple-part armor design with a front breastplate that was vaguely shaped to fit the torso, a back plate that curved to protect the sides, and two shoulder pieces that curved over to connect the front and back. Loops on the sides allowed leather straps to be attached so that the front and back could be tightly fitted, and holes at the bottom allowed a leather armor skirt to be riveted on later. A circular bronze disk protruded from the upper right chest of the cuirass where a cloak could be tied. We put our double-kappa symbol on the disk.

Each cuirass took over two hours to conjure without any enchantments on it at all. Ax had to mold each one to fit the wearer, as we had men and women of all sizes in our growing myrmidon army. Xene and her new refugee assistants took over with the armor after they were conjured, gluing leather padding inside the helmets and sizing it to each of our recruits. Greaves and bracers only needed a few leather straps, so took little time. With the breastplates, they glued in a thin layer of leather after it had been sized, then several layers of cloth. Straps, shoulder padding, and armored skirts were added after that. Finally, I laid down the reinforcing spells and wards, heat absorption and mana storage enchantments. It took about six hours of work for each cuirass. Even still, we finished two a day, arming our original followers first.

I also had been fine-tuning my space expansion spell. I employed two refugees as woodworkers, setting them to produce standard-sized crates. Several new refugees had experience as sawyers, so Ax banished dirt to form a sawpit for them to work in, turning out boards for our use. I was purchasing bags from town as well, basic grain bags that were roughly similar in size to each other, as well. My refined space expansion spell, once cast on the crates, increased the interior size by roughly five-fold. When fully loaded, the enchanted crates were only half as heavy as a fully loaded crate with no spell on it at all. The enchanted bags could hold nearly ten times as much, at the same weight as a fully loaded unenchanted bag. I couldn’t figure out why there was a difference, as it was the same spell. Perhaps the fabric held the enchantment better than the wood. It was the only explanation I could come up with.

My evenings were taken up with translating the Atlantean text and reading the dead wizard’s journal. I made very slow progress on this, and spent much of my time actually studying the translation dictionary rather than the journal itself. The notes weren’t much use until I could understand them, and I suspected it would take a few weeks of study before I could begin to puzzle them out.

Thoughts of how I could improve my own personal sorcery filled in the odd spaces. My soul magic was the least developed of everything I could do. I’d figured out a spell to pervert my healing sorcery, to act in reverse. But I only had vague ideas of what I could do with souls. They were metaphysical and fleeting, but what if there was a way to injure them? Could I cut them or burn them? What would happen to the person if their soul was destroyed? I turned those thoughts over and over, wishing once again to have a way to trap souls for study. I came up with a few ideas of what I could do, and even threw an odd new spell on my bracers, but didn’t hold out hope that it would do much. Especially since I had so many demands on my time. All in all, I was working harder than I had ever done before in my life, and it was… fulfilling.

A week after the incident in town, I found myself walking down to the woods to where the stream came down from the pond at the top of the hill. I found a half-rotted log that no one had deemed useful enough to carry off. The woods had thinned considerably as our encampment grew. New refugees had streamed in steadily to both the refugee camp at the city walls, and from there to us. The hill was getting crowded, and I needed a break from studying Atlantean. I could feel that some deep secrets were contained in that journal that could help us, but progress was maddeningly slow.

“Karsos? Are you okay?” came Zahra’s soft voice from behind me. Her alluring accent caught my attention yet again. “You disappeared out of camp quickly.”

I forced a weak smile as she came to sit next to me on the log by the water. She wasn’t wearing her armor for once, and wore only a knit hat to cover her hair and her bow on her back. The cap was shaped much like her helmet, complete with cheek guards, and made her look adorable. I still didn’t know how she could tolerate so much thick clothing in the heat, but the seasons were changing and the evenings were noticeably cooler now. I suspected we were enduring the last gasps of summer as the harvest was being gathered in.

“You look troubled,” she said. “Tell me?”

I stood and paced. “I feel we are stuck in this place. I know, logically, that we are building and preparing both for winter and for moving in strength to Iolcus. If we show up in that city hat in hand, they will treat us no better than the refugees here, or even as Dadaces has treated us.”

“True. But you are still bothered?”

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“I feel like we should be doing more. Asphalion and his cronies are out there, unpunished and unrepentant for all the evil they do. They get stronger every day, and I’m sure they’re working with the gigantes and whatever other forces Kronos has to destroy this land. Yet I sit here, and make magic bags and enchanted armor.”

Zahra came over and stood in front of me and placed a hand on my chest, halting my pacing. She smelled of lavender and spices, pleasant yet unidentifiable. She looked up and locked eyes with me.

“For as long as I can remember, I have had Visions. I see futures that could be, that will be, and that may never be. Part of my …gift… is to understand which is which, and if it could be changed. Of all those Visions that show a dire future, the ones who are doomed almost always share the same characteristics.”

“And those are?” I asked.

“They act rashly and without foresight,” she said sadly. “Even when warned, they are so short sighted that they rarely look beyond their own thoughts and never consider the consequences of their actions.”

“What about those doomed in battle?”

She laughed. “Those are often the most avoidable, if it is possible to change your fate. A peasant forced to fight may not be able to change their path, for it is out of their hands. But even with a modicum of agency, a soldier could buy a new shield before his fails her at the wrong moment, or be wary of a certain enemy soldier who is more skilled than her. Being careful to wear a helmet instead of letting it rest, or scouting ahead instead of charging blindly.”

“So the soldier that buys wine instead of a new shield, or the soldier who doesn’t wear a helmet, or the one who fails to scout, they bring their fate upon themselves,” I said.

“Indeed,” she said. “They all share the same characteristic. They chose the easiest or most comfortable path rather than preparing ahead. It is more pleasurable to drink wine, the breeze is cooler without a helmet to block it, and charging forward is simpler than scouting carefully.”

I nodded. She grabbed my chin and looked me in the eyes again. “It is easier to rush blindly towards Iolcus, spurred by anger and ill-prepared for what comes. I cannot see your fate, but that does not make you immune to the pitfalls of others who doomed themselves.”

Her words sank in, and soothed my restlessness. Kabiri’s killers were out there, but I had time. They didn’t know we even existed. Our father’s death was on a different plane in a different time, incidental to their plans rather than instrumental. We had the element of surprise, an enemy they couldn’t prepare for. Patience was a virtue that could only help us.

“Thank you,” I said as I felt my tension drain away.

She leaned up and captured my lips in a gentle kiss, then stepped back a half step, her hand still on my chest.

“It is rare to find a man who listens to wisdom,” she said. “You are an interesting man, Karsos.”

“You are a wise woman, Zahra,” I replied. It was the right reply, for she gave me a small, satisfied smile that warmed my heart.

“Wise woman. Wise woman,” crooned a creepy female voice from the trees. Zahra spun in front of me, her bow in her hands and drawing an arrow before I could even pinpoint where the voice came from.

I spotted a giant bird perched in the low branches of a tree across the stream. It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t a bird. The feathered creature was four times bigger than an eagle, with long wings instead of arms. It had a young woman’s face, with feathers instead of hair, and its body was a mix of bird and humanoid. The torso was that of a bare-chested woman, its legs far too thick for a bird, but with long talons instead of feet. Feathers covered each leg, and long tail-feathers dangled from its back in a thick plumage. The face was twisted in a cruel grin that revealed monstrous sharp teeth of a predator.

“It’s a harpy!” I breathed.

The harpy cackled in laughter. “Fresh meat!”

An arrow flew at the harpy. Zahra was wasting no time. The harpy dove swiftly to the side, then spread its wings wide to get airborne. I cast my acid spell at the creature, but was a second too slow. The harpy spun gracefully as it dove toward the ground, snapping its wings wide and flapping hard to gain altitude and speed as it came straight at us. We were forced to dive to the ground to avoid its wicked talons.

I leapt to my feet again and turned to find the harpy. It was circling near tree level, climbing with each passing second.

“We need to warn the camp!” I shouted to Zahra. We began to run back toward the hill. I drew the long dagger I kept on my belt at all times, cursing myself for not wearing my new armor. It was exactly the sort of short-sightedness that Zahra had spoken of. I resolved to never get caught out like this again.

The camp was in uproar as we approached. High above, the harpy had been joined by two others, and I could see in the distance another half-dozen circling the town. Zahra’s bodyguards materialized out of the crowd, flanking Zahra as she ran for the tent she shared with Antiope.

Shouting refugees crowded towards the only solid building in our camp, where Ax and Lacedaemon were waving children and unarmed adults into the building. The myrmidons were gathering into formation, every one of them helmeted and carrying spears and square wooden shields. There were close to thirty now, much more impressive than the half-dozen we’d started with.

Antiope emerged from her tent with a fist full of javelins, falling into line with Zahra. I took up a position on the other side of Zahra, while her guards stepped in behind her. Antiope planted the javelins in the dirt, one in hand and ready to throw.

The creepy whispers of the harpies kept us on edge, but they stayed outside of arrow range. I was beginning to think they weren’t going to do anything. The refugees were safe now, leaving only armed and ready myrmidons outside with us. Then I spotted a small girl running up the hill, alone. A woman ran out of the house then, calling for the girl and starting to run towards the child.

Up above, the harpies spotted the child. She was easy prey, nowhere near the armed soldiers and too distant to be reached. One of the harpies began its dive just as I started running towards the child. I needed to be there, now. I pulled mana and tried to replicate the space distortion trick I’d discovered. At the time, I’d only been reaching to pick up something I’d dropped. Now, I needed to step all the way down hill. I had no idea if it was going to work, but I had to try. Failure meant the death of that poor kid.

From my perspective, the world warped as I cast the spell. I flung myself towards the child. A single large step later, the warping wobbled then stopped, leaving me standing next to the girl, dagger in hand, just as the harpy got there. I shoved the girl to the side as the harpy squawked in surprise. The monster was going too fast to stop, plowing toward me instead of its intended prey. I grabbed at one of its talons, grabbing it around the ankle and stabbing at its leg as the harpy’s momentum dragged me off my feet.

The harpy tumbled to the ground, kicking and flailing at me. Its other leg kicked at me, the talons scratching along the bracers of my left hand where I was holding the monster. It was surprisingly light for its size, and far stronger than I anticipated. I stabbed again, this time sinking the blade deep into the leg. The harpy screamed in outrage, finally getting purchase with its wings. Another kick from its leg came, this time aimed at my face. I released the harpy and leapt back. The talons missed my face but scratched a shallow blow across my shoulder as I stumbled away.

We both scrambled to our feet at the same time, but I wasn’t about to try and fight this monster in anything resembling a fair fight. I pointed my bracers at it, throwing two acid spells in a row. The harpy dodged the first, but the second caught its wing. An agonizing scream came, and the outraged harpy tried to leap at me. Its wing was severely damaged, however, and its leap went wide.

“Watch out, Karsos!” called Zahra. I turned to see another harpy diving towards me from behind. I threw a flurry of acid spells, forcing the monster to swerve sharply. An arrow struck it in the head and it tumbled from the sky. As I was distracted, the first harpy dug its talons into my back. I howled in pain, but threw myself backwards to try and crush the creature by my body weight. The harpy was forced to release me, but it had landed a brutal blow. I was bleeding heavily, even as the magic of my ring tried to repair the damage.

I cursed myself as a fool, and willed my ring to turn on my mage armor. I wasn’t completely helpless. I spotted the girl child cowering nearby. Why hadn’t she run while the harpy was distracted? Then I spotted the third harpy circling, looking for an opening. Up the hill, I could see Zahra ready with her bow to cover me, while Ax was running down towards me with a half-dozen myrmidons in tow.

The harpy, as if sensing that it was doomed, gave me a cruel smirk. It dove towards the child. If it was going to die, it wasn’t going to go alone.

But I hadn’t been idle. I cast my shadow spell. The harpy’s own shadow grabbed it, dragging it down to the ground. The spell could barely hold the monster, much less kill it. I had no doubt that if I hadn’t wounded it already, the harpy could have pulled free. I wasn’t going to give it the chance though. I walked up behind where it struggled, and reached around with my dagger. In one fluid motion I cut its throat.

High above, I heard the third harpy scream in protest, before it turned to fly away.

“Dead man walking!” it squawked, and I could feel the hatred in its words. I stared after it as it fled. It would be back.