Hermera
The 27th of Elaphebolion
The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals
“So, Archousa, huh?” Arche smirked.
He, Lyssa, and Tess sat in the village hall. Very little remained from Callias’s den of drunken debauchery. Lyssa had spent the morning overseeing its deep and thorough cleaning while Arche went shopping for new clothes. Sadly, his new armor wasn’t ready yet. Though it felt like they had spent weeks in the dungeon, it had only been the better part of two days and Danocles assured him that the armor still needed another full day of work before it would be ready. He hadn’t seen Tess at all that morning until Lyssa called them together for a meeting and, now that he had, she wouldn’t quite meet his eye.
“So it would seem.” Lyssa shook her head. “Our friend Vikterandor is more capable with words than I gave him credit for.”
“I’m surprised you went along with it, honestly.”
“You gave me the idea and, much as I am loathe to admit it, you may be right. But I can’t do this on my own and my being the leader of this village is going to come with specific drawbacks. Namely, I am exiled by the wood elves. No elven settlement will deal with us.”
Arche frowned.
“Ever? There’s no coming back from that?”
Lyssa hesitated, then shook her head.
“No elf has ever had their exile revoked. But that’s not why I asked both of you here.”
Arche and Tess glanced at each other. She looked away first, so Arche turned back to Lyssa.
“What can we do?”
“I have a village to build from the ground up. We have nothing by way of established infrastructure other than this building and I’ve never done this. I need help. Will you help me?”
“Of course,” Arche said. “I was never going to let you do this alone.”
“Sure,” Tess followed a few beats later. “It’s not like I have anything else going on right now.”
“All right, then. I’ll need to build out the leadership positions, does anyone have recommendations?”
“Theodorous,” Arche said.
Both women turned to him.
“Callias’s old steward. He seems capable and has a good head about him. He was holding the town together when Callias was busy whoring.”
Lyssa stood and walked to the door. She opened it and exchanged a few words with a guard, then returned to her chair.
“Theodorous will be here shortly. Who else?”
“Well, there’s Helwan. He’d be good in some sort of research or teaching position, or maybe a public affairs position. There’s also Vik, Elpida, and Gigator. They’ve proven trustworthy so far.”
Lyssa nodded. “I considered them already. They’re in, Vikterandor said as much to me last night.”
Tess looked around. “Where are they, then?”
“They’re on their way. I asked you both here early to ensure we’re all on the same page.”
The door opened and the three warriors made their way inside, followed shortly by Helwan and Theodorous, who seemed a little uncomfortable to be surrounded by so many fighters.
“If you would all be seated, we can get down to business,” Lyssa said, gesturing to the nearby chairs.
Vik eyed the chairs and sniffed. “Is that sanitary?”
“They’ve been cleaned. Extensively.”
“Well, in that case.”
Everyone took a seat arranged in a loose circle. Tess sat to Lyssa’s left, Arche to her right. On Arche’s right sat Helwan. Directly across from Lyssa was Vik, with Elpida on his left and Gigator on his right. Theodorous had nestled himself between Tess and Gigator.
“I’ve called you all here because you’ve all been hand-selected to help me operate Myriatos. We’re dealing with very limited resources and practically no infrastructure beyond what we see here. I’m going to need people I can rely on in order to ensure the villagers remain safe and provided for. Can I count on each of you to that end?”
Everyone nodded.
“Very well. Theodorous, we will start with you.”
The older man looked up sharply at the mention of his name.
“Me, Archousa?”
“Arche tells me you were the steward to the previous archon. Tell me, what loyalties do you still harbor for him?”
Arche’s eyebrows lifted. It was certainly direct, if a little tactless. Theodorous seemed similarly surprised but kept his manner calm and his voice level.
“I served him for the betterment of the village, Archousa. I had little respect for the man. I have a knack for administrative work and have worked in city management before.”
“I would like to formally offer you to keep your position as steward and advisor, then. I’m sure your expertise in those areas will be a vital addition to our village’s leadership. Are there any opposed?”
No one raised any objections.
“As I said before, we are starting from the ground up. We will need to focus on matters such as housing, defenses, and food production. The village guards are little more than an informal militia. Our people have been living out of tents for weeks, this is unacceptable. We have no maps of our surrounding areas, no idea of what natural resources we have to work with other than this valley and the river. As it is, I worry the waste we create will pollute it.”
“There are many skilled workers among the villagers,” Theodorous said. “A few of the carpenters have already expressed annoyance at Callias’s unwillingness to allow them to exercise their craft.”
“Excellent. After this meeting, I want you to gather a few of them and pick which location in this field will be the best to start building housing. I’m sure you’ll have no shortage of willing hands. I also understand we have confiscated building materials that were originally intended to build facilities. Once a location has been chosen, you are to start construction immediately. Start with a facility that can house everyone. I don’t want people forced to sleep in tents any longer. Once that’s done, then we can branch out to necessary structures, like a forge and a workshop. Individual housing will be made available once other necessary facilities have been constructed.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Theodorous said.
“Gigator.” Lyssa turned to the large lizard-man. “Vikterandor tells me that you had military service before coming to work as a mercenary. Is that true?”
“I have had more than my fair share of organized battle, yes.”
“Our guard force need a strong, experienced hand to guide them. Will you be their Captain?”
Gigator scratched his scaly chin.
“Yes, but I will need assistance. Elpida has had military training as well, she would make a good assistant commander.”
“I have other plans for Elpida,” Lyssa said. “A well-trained guard corps is necessary for protection, but I have no intention of spending the rest of my life behind a desk. My profession is Huntress and that is a part of me I am not willing to sacrifice. I also recognize, however, the risks incumbent with that. Elpida, I am putting you in charge of security. You will determine what security details are necessary for each member here and are responsible for the vetting and training of the guards you select for the job.”
“Understood, Archousa. I know a few who might up to the task.”
Lyssa nodded and turned to the next member.
“Vikterandor.”
“I’ve told you, call me Vik.”
“Vik,” Lyssa repeated, a hint of amusement in her voice. “What little I know about your past is shrouded in mystery. Arche and Elpida, however, have vouched for you and that is good enough for me. I would like to make you my Minister of Intelligence. You will be responsible for gathering information about our surroundings as well as on our eventual enemies. I understand resources will be tight, but if major events start unfolding in Tartarus, I do not want to be the last to know. You will also be responsible for assisting the guards with investigations into any crimes that occur in Myriatos. Is this acceptable to you?”
“It’s manageable. I have a few contacts back in Ship’s Shape and a few other cities besides. It might take a while to get word out and back, but with some development we should be able to find a workable solution.”
“Excellent. Helwan.” Lyssa turned to the satyr. “I understand you had a position back in Ship’s Shape, one that you may be eager to return to, considering all that’s happened here.”
“Allow me to stop you there. Yes, I held a nice position back at Bits and Bobbles, but I was already on my way out, I think. As I explained to Arche once before, my stunt back at the dwarven ruins would have rendered my resignation. It wasn’t exactly a sanctioned expedition. At any rate, I am not quite in my adventure-chasing days any longer. At heart, I am a musician and a mage.”
“And a megaloscholar,” Arche added, giving the satyr a wink.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Yes, that too,” Lyssa said. “And it is for those reasons that I have a unique job for you. Tell me again, what magical abilities do you possess?
“I am an Adept Gaiamancer, a Student Phosphomancer, and when it comes to academics, I have long researched artifacts of arcane antiquity.”
“I would like you to begin training others in gaiamancy. A strong magical presence will be invaluable and it is my hope that, with effort, we can start our own school of magic here.”
“Me? A teacher?” Helwan’s eyes went wide. “I don’t know if I am perhaps the right person to do that. My personality isn’t always the most, erm, captivating.”
“I think the allure of learning magic with steady employment afterwards will be more than enough to captivate your future students. The affinity for magic is rare enough, we should find all who are capable and use them for the good of the village. I also want you to seek out other skilled magic users in our village and get them onboard for professorship.”
“Wait, wait, let me get this straight. You’re offering to teach people magic for free?” Tess asked.
The others seemed surprised as well.
“In my culture, we do not demand expense for what will help all,” Lyssa said. “I understand that we are no longer among my people, but the people of Myriatos have already sacrificed much. I would offer them what I can in return, and the promise of payment and steady employment should be enough to keep their loyalty.”
“Do you understand how much drachmae you are giving up in offering this?” Helwan asked gently. “The Lyceum Apokryfos in Ship’s Shape charges a tuition of over a thousand drachmae a year.”
The weight of that hung in the air until Arche cleared his throat.
“Erm, how much is that?”
“Ten months of a skilled tradesman’s wages; perhaps three years of an unskilled laborer’s.”
“Hot damn. So magic really is locked behind a paywall?”
“If you want classical training, yes. Access to the Arcane Library, tutelage in areas of proficiency, magical theory, magical history, spellcraft. All these things and more are offered by the Lyceum.
“I’m not suggesting that we’ll be able to compete with the Lyceum, but we can provide an alternative to our people. I see it as an investment into Myriatos’s future. Participating in our school would include a basic stipend for each student along with mandatory time in service to the village. That way we’re assured to get a return on our investment. When that period of service is over, a position will be offered that allows those magical services to continue to further the needs of the village.”
“A practical decision, Archousa,” Theodorous said. “I predict most in the village will leap at the chance to learn and practice magic, though some will not be keen to give up their current trades in order to do so.”
“For those willing to make a change, we will provide the opportunity. For those who wish to remain as they are, I will not force them to change, simply offer them the choice. Perhaps down the line, we can work out a curriculum that does not require people to give up their jobs in order to learn.”
“Then you have my support for the plan, Archousa. We can fine-tune the details of payment and time in service at a later date.”
“Never in all my years have I heard of such a thing,” Helwan said. “But then, I have not spent much time among the elves. If you believe I am truly the best satyr for the job, then I will accept your generous offer.”
“Excellent. That leaves you two.” Lyssa looked at Arche and Tess.
“I’m a Rogue. I’m not exactly equipped to help run a village.”
“On the contrary. In my understanding, Rogues are very good at keeping their finger on economy. I would like to make you the official Minister of Commerce. You will be in charge of the village treasury as well as overseeing the market and levying taxes. You will be in direct control of Myriatos’s resources.”
It was Tess’s turn to get wide-eyed.
“I…I don’t know. I’ve never done anything remotely like that. Are you sure?”
“I trust you to use your wits at all times,” Lyssa said. “And I trust you to honor the ideals of this village.”
“How could I refuse when you’ve asked so nicely?”
“Good. Now, Arche.”
Arche sat up a little straighter, wondering what was going to come next.
“I know you have questions about your past that may lead you far from Myriatos. I don’t intend to keep you from your intended path, but your skills and battle prowess are invaluable to this village’s security.”
Lyssa paused, as if considering him.
“Tartarus is full of dangers, but also full of change. Dungeons can appear and disappear, and with them come threats. They are not the only concern, however. As this village grows in power, so too will the power of the monsters around it grow. We will need warriors. Not just guards to provide protection, but individuals trained to work as an elite team. People that can do the job no one else is capable of doing. People who can go and clear out dungeons or monster dens as they arise, keeping us safe before we’re attacked.”
Arche scratched his chin as he considered the problem.
“You need a strike team for special operations and you want me to lead it.”
“Yes,” Lyssa said after a moment, clearly parsing through his words. “Yes, I do.”
“I’m in, on the condition that I get to pick the people for my unit.”
“Of course. How large or how small is up to you but know that your unit will be responsible for preemptive defense of Myriatos. Make sure those you pick are up to the challenge. You are the tip of our spear.”
Arche nodded, ideas already spinning in his head.
“So, the cabinet’s been assembled, what now?”
Everyone looked at him.
“What?”
“Cabinet?” Lyssa asked. “We’re not building furniture.”
“Ah, where I come from, the people assigned to leadership positions are known as a cabinet. I don’t actually know why. To use equative terms, though, this would be known as the Lyssa Administration, given as you don’t have a surname, and we would be the mayoral cabinet.”
“You say the strangest things,” Gigator chuckled. “But we like you anyway.”
Arche shrugged. “Anyway, that’s not important right now. What’s next?”
“Theodorous and I have a lot of work to do,” Lyssa said. “But there is one order of business to take care of first. Myriatos is on a path to running out of money.”
“Malaka,” Tess swore. “Make me Minister of Commerce and then tell me we have no drachmae? Typical.”
“There is also the matter of the bounty that was assigned,” Theodorous piped up. “It was using Callias’s treasury, which has been seized by Lyssa. Going by the quest updates, your group is owed nearly fifty drachmae.”
“Give my portions to the treasury,” Arche said immediately. “I don’t need it right now but the village does.”
“Mine as well,” Lyssa said.
Both looked at Tess, who hesitated, then sighed.
“Fine, take mine, too.”
“Excellent. That will go a long way toward relieving some financial burdens. I will speak with Abraxios and Odelia to determine what they wish to do.”
“There’s something else,” Arche said, drawing everyone’s attention. “The treasure from the dwarven crypt. We grabbed a bunch of it. I’m sure most of it is probably worth a fortune. We could take that to Ship’s Shape, sell it off for coin, buy any needed supplies and bring it back to Myriatos. That would probably hold us over for as long as it would take to set up our own internal economy.”
Lyssa considered the idea for a moment, then nodded.
“I agree. The way is too dangerous to go alone, however.”
“I will accompany him,” Helwan said. “I should really tender my resignation to Lady Oyl in person, and she may be able to help identify aspects of his spear. Additionally, I am well familiar with the city and may be able to secure some contacts within the Lyceum Apokryfos who might help me in setting up our school.”
“And as the freshly minted Minister of Commerce, such a trip would be along my purview. I can talk with some of the trade guilds in the city and see if there are any deals to be made. There might not be much now, but once we learn more about what’s around us we may have goods to sell.”
“It’s settled, then,” Lyssa said. “We’ll take a few days so Theodorous and I can create a list of what the village needs, then we will send you off. Perhaps we should plan a return trip to the ruins, first, but we still have no certain way of killing the revenant. Until then, I suggest you settle into your new roles and do the best you can to prepare. Additionally, the upstairs has several rooms. As my ‘cabinet,’ I would extend these rooms to each of you. They may accommodate you better than those tents outside.”
Everyone stood, preparing to leave, but Lyssa raised a hand to keep Arche and Tess behind. They waited patiently as the others filed out, or in Theodorous’s case, went over to a small desk on the side of the room to begin organizing the village’s resources.
“Until more suitable accommodations can be met, I have turned my bedroom into a study,” Lyssa said. “It’s more private than this room. Please, follow me.”
Arche and Tess exchanged glances, then followed Lyssa to the back of the hall and into a medium-sized room. Gaudy tapestries hung from the walls and the furniture was intricately carved out of rich, dark wood.
“I haven’t yet had time to dispose of these,” Lyssa said, gesturing. “Perhaps you can take some of it with you to sell when you go, but that’s not why I called you here.”
She leveled her piercing, green eyes at Arche.
“What happened?”
Arche cleared his throat and sat down in the desk chair.
“All right, get comfy.”
He told them everything. How the fall had nearly killed him, his survival, and his trek through the tunnels. His fight with the beastmar near the flame traps and how it had nearly killed him. He told them of Hekáte and the quest he received from her. He spoke of the kerberos, Orthrus, and its lair. About his motivation behind joining the fight and the circumstances surrounding his death. Then he spoke of Thanatos and Ares, and how the latter’s claim to him apparently superseded the former’s. He told them about how he couldn’t die, about the toll dying would take on him, and the threat that the price would only grow steeper the more he died.
Lastly, after internal deliberation, he told them of the coin that Thanatos had given him.
“You have an artifact that can reverse death?” Lyssa asked incredulously.
“Yes. Thanatos made it clear this was a one-time use item and that it would only work on the recently deceased.”
“Never speak of it again,” Tess warned, moving to the window then the door to check for eavesdroppers. “Such a thing would have every thief and brigand in Tartarus coming after you. Everyone’s lost someone they want to bring back, the limitation wouldn’t stop them from trying.”
Lyssa nodded.
“I agree. Such a thing is unheard of. You would do well to keep it a secret, always.”
Arche nodded.
“I debated telling you two, to be honest. But I’ve tried to be upfront with both of you and I see no reason to stop now.”
“Thank you.” Lyssa’s brow furrowed. “What do you suppose this Ares wants? You mentioned something about a war, but with whom?”
“I’m not sure. The world, perhaps? Or maybe whatever governs it. He seemed to relish conflict. He’s the source of my Divine Body skill. He’s the one that’s been influencing my entire life here, but there’s something fundamentally wrong about him. He’s like conflict incarnate.”
“Then we would do well to be extra cautious around him. Such a being likely has underlings and I can’t imagine they would be peaceful.”
“We better hope that Gigator does a good job training those guards, then. We may need them sooner, rather than later.”
“Peace never lasts long in Tartarus.”
“Are we sure we’re ready to pick this fight?” Tess asked.
“Ready? No. But I don’t think I have a choice,” Arche said. “We’ll have to prepare quickly. First things first, however. We have a trip to Ship’s Shape to plan, and if past experience is anything to go off of, I’m sure there will be a multitude of ways it goes wrong. I’m not so sure that we can’t get past the revenant and the village could use the income from those dwarven relics. I think it’s time to pay a second visit to those ruins.”
“Good luck,” Lyssa said. “We’re all going to need it.”
Arche sat back in his chair and glanced out the window. The sun was shining over the village and people were busy going about their daily lives. Theodorous had apparently left his desk as he was talking to carpenters and masons, gesturing toward the valley, and Helwan was deep in conversation with Abraxios and Odelia. Hope started to well in Arche’s chest. Hope that they were finally doing something right. He turned away from the window to look back at the others.
“All right. Let’s get to work.”