I was going to lose my damn mind. Evidently, moving armies using medieval methods was incredibly slow. Of course, I had some inkling that would be the case, but I think my reality of origin has spoiled me a bit when it came to the logistics of war. News of troops deployment in the modern age is always stuff like ‘fleet crosses ocean in two days to defend allies’ or, ‘soldiers move a hundred miles in an afternoon to strike this target.’ Meanwhile, we were going on the second week of waiting for the soldiers to gather.
Those that had already arrived at the city had begun to camp outside the walls. A variable tent city had grown in that period of time. At night, the lights from the tents could be seen stretching as far as the eye could see as thousands of soldiers wandered about the rows. I was happy to see so many here, but my complaint still remained.
All this wasn’t even to take into account that boredom was starting to sink in for me. We had spent our days since coming here running back and forth from one mess to another, talking to people and making deals with any interested parties. Now, we had next to nothing to do to busy ourselves throughout the day. Sure, sometimes a councilmember would seek us out for information regarding Yol’vastume and how long it might remain standing. My best guess would be a little over a month before Durdan and his soldiers would be stretched a bit thin. They may have a favorable position, but their numbers were a bit lacking. At most he might be able to keep them at bay for two months so long as the Thrainian didn’t pull any surprises.
Maybe it was just me that was feeling restless because everyone else was simply taking things in stride. At a certain point I had even developed a habit of pacing around the room when I became lost in thought. Kala was in bed practicing her reading and writing skills, but she put her papers down and looked at me walking in endless circles.
“James, you’re going to wear a path in the floor if you keep doing that.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose before responding to her. “How do you do it, Kala? Why aren’t you as restless as I am? I mean, your mom is still in Yol’vastume as well.”
She sighed a little. “I know, and I am worried about her, but I know that working myself up over something that I have no control over does no good. We’ve succeeded in our mission, and I am very happy about that. Now we must simply prepare in whatever way we can and wait patiently for the soldiers to gather.”
I sat down on the bed next to her, feeling a little dejected. “You’re right, but I just can’t help but feel restless. I’ve done everything I can think of and then some, but it just feels like it’s not enough, like I can do more.” Over the last several days I had even created a spare of the tesla crystal, just in case.
Kala suddenly seized me by the shoulders and dragged me down to the bed with her. “How many times do I have to tell you that you have been doing more than enough? Honestly, every time I think that you have finally realized that there is nothing left to do, you miraculously find another problem to get yourself involved in.” She shot me a playful smirk. “You are a lot of work to keep track of.”
That got me to chuckle while snuggling into her. “Well, luckily, it’s work you enjoy, right?”
She gave me a tilt of the head and a ‘really’ look. “The only lucky thing is that I have the patience to deal with you and your antics. Of course, it’s partly my fault for falling for the strange human bringing knowledge from his strange world.”
“Hey, that knowledge has saved our lives on a number of occasions. Also, I'm hoping that after the war is over that I will have time to use my knowledge to experiment and improve the quality of life for everyone.”
“Yes, big plans, but I hope that when you’re working on all of that you won’t forget me.”
It was my turn to have a playful grin. “How could I possibly forget you? I’m sure that if I’m ever not giving you enough attention, you will just tackle me out of whatever I am doing at the moment and force me to spend time with you.”
“I’d say that’s a safe bet,” she admitted without hesitation.
“There’s not a shameful bone in your body, is there?”
“Don’t think so,” she deadpanned.
The absolutely frank method with which she replied to me made me huff in amusement and shake my head. I let my head fall limp against the soft mattress while exhaling slowly. Deciding that staying here wasn’t doing me any good, I presented an alternative.
“You feel like going for a walk? I think I'm going to go for a walk. Let’s go for a walk.”
Kala was amused by my antics and agreed to come with me and stretch our legs. Getting everyone together for the outing, we dressed warmly and stepped out into the stark white streets of the city. It had snowed a few times in the last couple of weeks, a sure sign as any that winter was officially upon us. I had enjoyed it when it snowed, as I had not seen a lot of the stuff back in my world, which was the exact opposite reaction from Kala’s. Every time we went out she was practically glued to my side to prevent her from falling into lethargy. The idea of a snowball fight had crossed my mind a few times, but that would most likely end with someone in my group falling into a hibernating state.
Ulthises wasn’t in a much better boat than Kala was, after all. He may not have been as susceptible to the cold due to his size, but it still affected him. Jorn and Otar were mostly fine with the weather, they just wore an extra layer to keep warm. Hargon didn’t change a single thing about his outfit. His thick fur coat kept in all the heat he could ever need. And then there was Velian. The Nactren was bundled up so tightly you might have been mistaken thinking it was a strait jacket. He was evidently not a winter person.
The sound of footsteps crunching against the snow was audible all over the city as people walked through the streets, bundled up much the same ways we were. There were a few public servants shoveling snow on the street to make it easier for carriages to move. I noticed an increase in vendors that were selling hot food items and drinks. Businesses were always looking to capitalize on the desire for comfort.
There was a small break in the buildings that surrounded the road that allowed me to see the camp outside the walls. Pillars of smoke rose from random places all over the landscape. They kept fires going even in the middle of the day to combat the cold. Winter is always a dangerous time of the year, even in my world where technology can negate the temperature people can still die from exposure. That was another thing I had on the list of improvements to make to the lives of these people, temperature control on an industrial scale.
On the way down we encountered a familiar face that I wasn’t expecting to find out here in this temperature. Ophelia was on her way up the slope with a small army of priests and her normal escort. There was a change in her normal attire, because while everything she wore still looked well made, it contained many more furs than normal. Even the bottom of her serpentine half now contained what appeared to be a leather girdle with fur on the inside to protect her tail from the snow. While a simple invention, it was evidently considered a luxury item as neither Ulthises nor any of the other Valus I have seen had it.
She noticed me as we got closer to one another and gave me a friendly smile before launching into a formal greeting. “Greetings, Lord James. It’s a pleasure to see you out and about this afternoon.”
“It’s nice to see you as well, and a surprise at that. What are you doing out in this weather?”
“Me and my fellow priests were showing our support for the troops. We provided them with blankets, cooked food, and even medical attention if they needed it. Also, not to flaunt my own tail, my presence was received rather well, and the prayers I conducted with the soldiers resulted in an increase in morale. Sometimes even the simplest of acts can brighten someone's future.”
That was certainly kind of them, and if it helped our odds, I’d say go for it. Those soldiers would be fighting and dying soon enough, and even before that they had to endure such discomforts as this. Although, her act of charity did inspire an idea of my own. One part to cure my boredom, and one part to help our troops.
“You know, I think I might try my hand at helping the troops as well. You’ve given me a good idea for a project.”
She tilted her head in interest. “Oh? I’m honored to have inspired you. Is there anything I can do to help you with that?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much you can do. This is mostly a matter of money, time, and magical know-how. What I'm planning to make is a relatively simple comfort item, though it may help save lives in certain situations.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“I see,” she said with a nod. “In that case I wish you luck on your project. Oh, and I look forward to working with you in the future.” That last comment was said with an implied wink and nudge to it. I understood that she was very excited about our agreement, but she would have to keep comments like that to a minimum to avoid suspicion.
“Of course, Lady Ophelia, any time.” After that she continued her path up to the top of the city. Meanwhile, I had a new goal in mind, and started on the path to getting into contact with Corven, the mining owner, again.
It was easy enough to do so at least. We simply had to stop by the merchant’s guild and ask them to pass along a message to the man that I wished to purchase more crystals from him, though of a smaller variety. After that we simply returned to the lodge and waited for him to arrive with the goods in tow.
The man was certainly expedient in his movement, at least when it came to my requests. He brought me a crate of more reasonably sized crystals than my last order, these being about the size of a lantern crystal, slightly larger than a fist. They were much cheaper to buy and we ended up taking dozens of them off his hands. Gold exchanged ownership as I made Corven just a bit richer than he was yesterday.
Now with my materials in hand, I retreated into the building and got to work carving crystals once again. My intention for these was to make something to provide warmth in an easy and renewable way. It wasn’t all that difficult in terms of the runes needed to make it work. It had to generate heat, had to be limited to a certain temperature, and for energy conservation, limited in range to about three meters in diameter.
Less than a dozen runes, and a bit under an hour later, and I had a completed space heater in mineral form. I was satisfied with my work and decided to allow the one person who would appreciate this most to test it for me.
“Hey Kala, want to help me test this?”
She looked up from her reading that she was doing while I worked, a little surprised by the sudden offer. “Uhm, sure, I guess. What does it do?”
“It should make you feel warm but tell me if it’s a bit too hot for comfort so I can adjust the next one.”
With my assurance that it wasn’t anything that could be dangerous, she accepted the crystal and activated it and I saw the effects in action as her eyes opened in surprise before her entire body relaxed. “Ooooh, that’s nice,” she said in a dreamy voice.
“I take it you approve?” I asked with a smirk.
“Definitely. Can I keep this one?”
That made me chuckle. “Don’t see why not. They should be good for a few hours at a time before they need a day to recharge.”
“Aww, so it won’t last forever?”
“No, it would need to be a much larger crystal to keep up that heat for an indefinite period of time. I figured that this would be a bit easier to carry around.”
“That makes sense. So, it works, what now?”
“Now, I have something to do for the next few days, so you won’t have to endure me pacing around the room and complaining all the time.” I had a playful grin on my face as I said that, and she picked up on the mood quickly.
“Oh, thank the gods for that! Finally, my prayers are answered. Let me tell you I was this close to tying you to a chair and just leaving you like that so you would stop fidgeting all the time.”
“Sounds kinky, but you shouldn’t curse a good time by invoking bad actors.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You just keep tapping away over there before I decide that your time could be better spent servicing me.”
Her voice adopted a sultry tone that I was familiar with, but she did not seem to be acting on it and instead went back to reading. I figured that she was teasing me a bit because if she really wanted me to do something she would be much more aggressive about it. Turnabout is fair play after all, so I hit her with some of her own medicine.
“Anytime you want, my lady.” I saw her look away from the page and give me a half smirk that was filled with a restrained desire. I was a little concerned that I had put an idea in her head and would be reaping the consequences of my actions at some point in the future.
It took me a bit over two days of dedicated work to finish all the crystals. Now it was just a matter of delivering them, and I had to figure out the best way to do that. Handing them out randomly across the camp seemed both inefficient and a recipe for bickering over who gets to use them. The solution to my problem came in the form of the quartermaster. Every army needed one, every army had one, and now they were going to help me by doing their job.
Packing up the crystal in a big sack I was a regular old Santa Clause here to deliver presents to all the good little children. I think the snow was starting to get to me. Would it be wrong to introduce Christmas to this world without Christianity? Probably. Going to be a sad Christmas for me, but maybe a gift giving tradition wouldn’t hurt to promote. People are going to need some happiness in their lives when all is said and done.
Hargon carried the sack for me. It weighed next to nothing for him and kept up appearances of my ‘nobility.’ Social norms were still important for the integrity of this society, but that was one thing that I hoped to dismantle a bit in favor of a more meritocratic system. It would have to be gradual, people don’t like sudden changes, but I was confident that I could pull it off, or at least get it started.
The trip down the city was largely uneventful, and soon enough we had passed underneath the gatehouse with a quick acknowledgment from the guards. We walked down the road which had seemingly divided the camp into two sides. Soldiers wandered through the snow and between tents, mostly making their way from one fire to the next in order to keep warm. I found myself feeling strangely nostalgic about being in the middle of all this. It reminded me about my time in the volcano, all the people that I had gotten to know during my stay, and the fact that those people were currently fighting for their lives in Yol’vastume. My resolve hardened itself as I pressed forward to deliver my little gift.
It took a little asking around until we found a soldier who wasn’t bewildered enough by my presence to give us directions to the quartermaster. The tent was medium-sized, bigger than the standard troops accommodations, but not the largest that could be seen in the camp. Brushing aside the tent flap, we were greeted with a woosh of slightly warmer air and the sight of a packed tent.
Boxes and crates were stacked on either side of the tent, pushed there to make room for a desk, a chair, a cot, and a small brazier that was crackling with a low flame. At the table sat a rather tired-looking Satyr who was busy thumbing through a large book. He glanced up only briefly, greying beard covering most of his features before grumbling out a command.
“Close the damn flap, it’s cold out there.”
His grumpy attitude convinced everyone to hurry through the gap so it could be closed again. With the heat trapped once more he returned to his book, mumbling what were likely complaints while reading. I approached his table, and he only looked up at me again when I remained in his field of view for too long.
He quirked a brow when he got a second look at me. “Oh, you’re that thing, that... what they call you? Ahh, right, ‘human’ yeah? Still have no idea how that differs from a Thrainian, but whatever. Is there something I can do for you? If you haven’t noticed, I'm rather busy right now.”
I decided to just overlook the dismissive attitude and get on with the delivery. “I’m here with a gift for the troops to help with the cold in some small way.”
He slipped a bookmark in between the pages before closing the book and pushing it to the side. “Very well, let’s see it then.”
I made a gesture to tell Hargon to bring the bag to the man. Hargon set the heavy sack down on the desk with a loud thud and some clattering as the contents shuffled and settled onto the surface. The Satyr reached in a pulled out one of the crystals, examining it for a moment before giving me another look.
“This gives off heat then? Seems to be limited to a certain radius as well.”
That was a bit surprising. “You can read the runes?”
“Enough to know what I am handling at the very least,” he confirmed. “I don’t need anything dangerous being spread around the camp, so it pays to know a thing or two about magic to prevent that.” The crystal was placed back in the sack which was secured once more. “This will help quite a bit, particularly when we start moving. Can’t exactly have fires going during the march, and a lot of the Trelnvals tend to fall asleep during this time of the year. These will help keep them on their feet.”
It was nice to hear that my efforts would come in handy. There was another question brought up by his comments though. “Speaking of marching, when do you think the army will be ready to move?”
“Pretty soon by my reckoning. Most of the forces that were called for have arrived and we have enough supplies to make the trip, though I would be happier if we had more. As it is we only have the necessary amount to make it to Yol’vastume as I was promised that we could use the supplies that we find there. This is a risky move.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yes, but it is necessary if we are to take advantage of the situation and put pressure on the Thrainians.”
“Didn’t say that I didn’t understand the strategy, I'm just not happy with it. It means more work for me as I have to figure out how to keep everyone fed long enough to reach our destination.”
I’d apologize for that, but I also didn’t want to sit there and get my ass chewed by a clearly disgruntled officer. “My condolences for your troubles. I appreciate the role you serve in this army.”
“Your appreciation is noted. Now, if there’s nothing else, then please leave me to my work.”
Deciding it was best to listen to his request, I excused myself and gathered the rest of my group before stepping out in the biting cold once more. With my good deed done, I began to reflect on the knowledge that I had gained from the visit and the implications that came along with it. I looked around the camp at the soldiers. There were many different sizes, shapes, and colorations amongst the people here, but one thing I noticed was the age range. Sure, some seemed older, more grizzled, but a vast majority were young, around my age or even younger than that.
A sigh escaped me, and not long after Otar showed up at my side, apparently predicting my thoughts. “We all know what we are getting into. Everyone has a reason to fight.”
“It would be better if no one needed a reason to fight,” I complained.
Velian added his thoughts next, in between shivers. “Y-your basically asking p-people to not be people then. Greed and a-anger will always create problems. Assholes are the same n-no matter where you are.”
I gave an amused huff at that. “Regrettably, that is true. When you condense power into a single role, the likelihood of it being corrupted somehow increases significantly.” I pulled my cloak a little tighter around me as the cold started to get to me. “Let’s go, we probably won’t have much longer before we will be deploying. We should prepare while we still can.”
Everyone agreed with me, though I got the feeling that some of my group only did so just to get out of the cold. We trudged through the snow on our way back to the city, our minds all preoccupied with thoughts of the near future and what we would be facing. I swore, somewhere out there, I could hear the steady beat of a drum, like a foreboding rumble that heralded the start of a momentous battle.