Nyxpera

The 14th of Thargelion

The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals

Lyssa stood on a shelf halfway up Mount Hyperion, surveying the Sylv as it disappeared into the distance. The burgeoning village was laid out in the valley before her, four kilometers away as the wolf ran. Elpida stood at her back, along with a handful of guards specially chosen by the taciturn woman. Next to Lyssa stood Grimmolt Sidergrothia, also enjoying the view.

“Not every day you get to see a sight like this, is it?” the dwarf asked.

“Indeed,” Lyssa replied. “Even our tallest trees don’t reach this high.”

“You should see the sky from a mountain peak on a cloudless night. The stars are laid bare before you and the unfiltered light of Selene and Agrotera makes the air come alive. On those nights, we break open our strongest casks and read the divinations of the kosmos.”

Lyssa looked at the dwarf consideringly. “Perhaps, someday, we will reenact such a thing.”

Grimmolt met her gaze, but his face was as inscrutable as the mountain they stood on.

“We will see. Such an event is not normally held with outsiders.”

“I understand.” Lyssa turned back to the Sylv. “Myriatos is full of things that are not normal. With time, perhaps, we will experience more.”

“Perhaps, indeed.”

Another dwarf approached them, receiving an intense stare from Elpida. The dwarf did his best to ignore the armored woman but still stopped a respectful distance away.

“Patriarch, Archousa, the node is ready for you.”

“Thank you, Arnag. That will be all.” Grimmolt dismissed the dwarf with a wave of his hand.

Arnag hastened away, Elpida staring daggers into his back until he was gone from sight.

“Time for Myriatos to claim its first resource,” Lyssa said. “Was the excavation difficult?"

She and Grimmolt turned from the vista and walked toward the mouth of the mine.

“For us? Hardly. Once your guards cleared the cave bear out, we were able to make quick work of the rest. We should have the stone ready for the forge in a few days. We have already tapped a copper vein and discovered a vein of iron, though we will need a refinery before we are able to work it into a usable alloy.”

“Your forge will be built next, but I cannot promise a refinery directly afterwards. There are other pressing needs for the village. We will build it as soon as the plans allow.”

Elpida, normally Lyssa’s shadow, stepped into the cavemouth first. She glanced left and right, a hand on the mace that hung from her belt. Most of the citizens that carried weapons in Myriatos kept those weapons in their inventory, but Elpida preferred to wear hers visibly, where convenience allowed, and usually rested a hand on them. After finding no immediate threats, the armored woman returned to her position slightly behind Lyssa.

Lyssa, for her part, watched with well-hidden exasperation. With her high Perception and the natural elven ability to see in darkness, she was much more qualified to spot hidden dangers. Further, she was armed with her usual weapons and was one of the highest leveled individuals in Myriatos, if not the highest. If something was amiss, she was likely to spot it long before Elpida did, though that didn’t stop the human woman from taking her job with the utmost solemnity.

When the dwarves sent word that the mine was ready to be claimed, Elpida had insisted on a full guard to accompany Lyssa, an addition that Lyssa found to be incredibly wasteful. The guards would be used much more efficiently by taking additional training or by actually protecting the village, but Elpida would not hear of argument. Lyssa was working to unite the different races of Myriatos under a common cause, peace, but Elpida treated everyone with suspicion until proven otherwise. Such was her duty.

“So long as you measure ‘soon’ by our metric and not yours,” Grimmolt said. “If you want to be forging with steel, we will need that refinery. I’ve got a few good years ahead of me, I don’t want to be wasting them waiting for you to get around to it.”

“I have already promised you we will build one. You will have to be satisfied with that.” It was an effort to keep exasperation from her voice, but she could not hide the sharpness of her tone.

To her surprise, Grimmolt smiled.

“With the fire in your belly, it’s a wonder you weren’t born a dwarf, Archousa. Fine, I will take you at your word, for now.”

They walked deeper into the cave, but it took no more than ten meters for a notification to appear.

You have entered an Unclaimed Mine.

Claim this mine for Myriatos?

Yes

No

Lyssa affirmed the choice and was met with a follow up notification.

You have claimed a mine for Myriatos.

Proceeds from this mine will now be attributed to Myriatos.

You and any designated officials will be warned if proceeds from this mine are stolen.

You and any designated officials will be warned if someone else attempts to claim this mine.

Designate an official?

Yes

No

Lyssa affirmed the notification again, fixing Grimmolt in her mind. There was a light, mental chime as her quest updated, signaling she had claimed half of the natural resources necessary to level the village. All that was left was to secure one more natural resource and construct a few more buildings. Simple, if time-consuming.

“I will let you work out the logistics of transporting the materials back to the village, Grimmolt,” she said. “Once we have the stone necessary, construction of your forge will begin.”

“Our first shipment will start tomorrow morning. Do not fear, Archousa. We may not be cheap, but we dwarves know how to do good work quickly.”

Grimmolt gave a toothy smile but Lyssa didn’t rise to the bait. She inclined her head in acknowledgement and turned away, Elpida at her side. They walked out of the cave and back to the mountain camp, over a thousand meters above the ground.

“I still don’t understand why they had to climb so high before beginning their digging,” Lyssa muttered.

“Grimmolt said they had a better chance of finding metal veins up here,” Elpida said. “He also mentioned a higher likelihood of rare metals and gems would be found higher, but that the monsters encountered would also grow more dangerous. This was as high as he was willing to go with the security you gave him.”

Lyssa grunted.

“It seems careless to me. Stone is our most pressing concern. The metals can wait.”

“Can they?” Elpida raised an eyebrow. “As it stands, our guards are ill-equipped. Their weapons are cheaply made and crudely kept. The forge will be handy for its utility but it will also help keep our militia well-armed and protected.”

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Lyssa began the long path down the mountainside. Elpida stayed in lockstep on her left. Ahead of her, three of Elpida’s guards scouted the way forward while another two stayed behind, protecting their flank.

“Never agree to be the person in charge,” Lyssa said quietly, looking up into the sky. “Never more have I felt myself caged in a life I didn’t want than when I look at my desk.”

“Why did you take the job, then?”

“I thought I could make a difference, I suppose. I thought I could do a better job than Callias. I knew there was going to be responsibility, I’m not a fool, I just didn’t realize that it was going to consume my entire life.”

“That must be…lonely.”

Lyssa glanced at the woman, noting the hesitation in her voice. Elpida’s eyes were fixed on the path ahead, her face as impassive as the stone beneath their feet. She betrayed nothing.

“I am exiled. To be cast out by my people is to be alone.”

“If they cast you out, they’re not your people.”

A small ember of anger bloomed in Lyssa’s chest.

“They were right to do so. Our laws are unequivocal.”

“Laws don’t make something right.”

The iron in Elpida’s voice made Lyssa look at her again. This time, Elpida met Lyssa’s eyes.

“You are the leader of Myriatos. These are your people, now. You should start believing it before people start to wonder where your loyalties truly lie.”

Lyssa bit back the angry response she wanted to give and nodded.

“Yes. You’re right. I have a new people now, but finding a new home does not lessen the pain of losing my old one. An uprooted tree, even replanted somewhere greener, will not grow quite the same. Something is lost – and something is found.”

Elpida’s face softened; the look she gave Lyssa was not so impenetrable as before.

“You’re slipping into metaphors again.”

“Am I? I must be more tired than I thought.”

“We can slow down, if you like.”

“On the contrary.” Lyssa felt a smile tug at her lips, all trace of anger gone. “Let’s hurry back. I need to speak with Theodorous about my schedule. I think the village is nearing a point of lessened oversight. I would like the freedom to go hunting again.”

“It will be hard to protect you while hunting,” Elpida pointed out.

“If safety was assured, the hunt would not be enjoyable. You are welcome to join me if you feel so inclined. Your nature-sense is coarse but not hopeless.”

“I got my boot stuck in the mud one time.” Elpida scowled.

“And had to hop five meters before you could put it back on.” Lyssa felt the smile cross her face fully. “I won’t soon forget that.”

Ignoring the other woman’s dour look, Lyssa quickened her stride, forcing everyone to speed up. With the fast pace over treacherous terrain, it took them nearly an hour to reach Myriatos. It was a slow pace, by Lyssa’s standards, but by the wheezing breaths of the guards, they clearly disagreed. North of the village, the farmers had begun tilling the ground and working a rudimentary irrigation system with the nearby river. Normally the season would be late for planting but, with the help of gaiamancy, the crops would be able to grow quickly and out of season. Odelia and Helwan remained the village’s only gaiamancers but, with luck, when Helwan returned he would have whatever was necessary to begin a school. The village desperately needed more magic.

Lyssa’s own expertise lay in bushcraft, not gaiamancy. It was easier for her to insert herself into the natural world, rather than make it contort to her will. That was when she had started the path to becoming a Huntress. The memory of first shooting a bow sprang to her mind, making her smile. She had practiced archery for nearly two hundred years. At first, the skill levels had come quickly under the instruction of Dawnwood’s hunters, but they had slowed considerably when she reached the Proficient ranks. As an Adept, progression was practically non-existent. She had her own theories as to why her progression had stalled, but there was little opportunity to explore solutions. Myriatos consumed all her attention, every waking moment of her day and many of the sleeping ones.

As they approached the village, details of the construction were revealed. Materials for the forge were carefully arrayed where the building was going to one day sit, simply awaiting a shipment of stone to begin. Next to the eventual forge, a simple cord of rope delineated the location of where the refinery would be placed. This was expected and had been laid out the previous day, but what she hadn’t expected was the rope cordoning off the plot on the other side of the forge.

Lyssa frowned and quickened her pace again until she reached the village hall. There, she found Theodorous doing calculations at his desk, his spectacles perched so far down his nose that it was a wonder they hadn’t yet slipped off.

“Theo.”

The man looked up sharply, slinging the spectacles into the pile of parchment before him. He grabbed for them quickly, putting them in place before he focused his eyes on Lyssa.

“Oh, Archousa, forgive me. I didn’t notice you come in.”

“Did you approve a structure to be built next to the forge?”

“Ah, yes, I was meaning to speak with you about that. I was approached by some of the crafters. They have been growing unsettled by their lack of ability to conduct their trade and hone their skills. They demanded a building for them to conduct their practices, so I was forced to pick a plot for the eventual construction of a workshop. I thought next to the forge would allow the two some synergy. Shall I relocate it?”

Lyssa shook her head. “Not at all. What is next on the city planning agenda?”

Theodorous quickly rifled through his parchment before producing the sought-after document.

“Ah, let’s see here. The additional insula, which should alleviate our overcrowding concerns, the forge, the workshop, a storehouse for the crops, a guardhouse, and Odelia has been harassing me for an asklepieion for formal medical practice. At some point, we should also consider a warehouse to allow the people to store things long-term; for a fee, of course.”

Lyssa nodded along, mentally noting each item. “How is the second insula coming along?”

“Considering the delays we had, it should be finished within the week. The foreman believes it will be able to house a hundred people across ten apartments, same as the first. He also states that with access to stone, he can reinforce both structures and allow us to build upward, creating more living spaces on top.”

“Is that safe?”

“That was my question as well. He assured me that so long as he has access to the materials to reinforce it, it is safe. With iron and steel, he said he could go even higher.”

“Eventually, we will need to provide housing for each family,” Lyssa said. “Our position has been accepted thus far, but I do not expect them to agree to combined living forever.”

“Indeed. I had an idea on that, Archousa, if you would hear me out.”

“Go on.”

“With two insulae, we would be able to realistically, if not comfortably, accommodate for approximately two hundred people. That is before any upgrades that the builders can provide. Currently, we are charging no fees for the people to use this space. Once the important infrastructural buildings are created, I think we should open potential construction for private homes. We will lease the land, allow the citizens to negotiate with the builders for price and size—with some oversight, of course—and have homes built in a sectioned, residential portion of the village. The homes will be much larger than the apartments and offer much more privacy, but at the cost of the land, which they would pay back to Myriatos. The insulae will be kept as a free housing option and for new arrivals to move into.”

Lyssa tilted her head to one side, considering the proposal.

“It will take a long time before those housing options will be made available to everyone. Are we certain that village morale will last long enough to carry it out?”

“It will if we market it in the right way. If Helwan were here, it would be easier. I’m not sure what it is about that satyr but he sure does know how to make any news sound like good news.”

“Are we certain the villagers can afford to build and pay on private homes?”

“Some of them, certainly. Others, likely not. Given time and the influx of drachmae that Tessalyn will bring back, that should be a large enough boost to our economy that more citizens will be able to afford it. If we can establish some sort of trade with Ship’s Shape, it becomes even more likely.”

Lyssa looked over her shoulder to where Elpida stood in the shadows next to the door.

“What do you think?”

Elpida stepped forward, clearly reluctant to leave what she had decided to be her post. Theodorous flinched in surprise, clearly not having noticed her.

“It’s a solid plan. Keeps the money central, gives the people a place to stay. Gives them a fallback, too. The more people that use the private housing, the more spacious the insulae will become. I imagine you’ll have a steady stream of demand for both, especially as the village grows.”

“I agree. Make it happen, Theo.”

Theodorous bowed his head. “Archousa.”

“We’re close to getting the village to being an actual village and not a hamlet,” Lyssa said. “We need one more natural resource to claim and three more buildings. Split the builders if we need to. Leveling the village is a top priority.”

“Of course, Archousa. I’ve assigned some of the guards with high agility to act as runners between the mine and the village. They should be able to carry supplies there and stones back quickly.”

“So long as Gigator signs off on it, I approve.” A wave of exhaustion hit her and she rolled backwards on her heels. “I’m going to take the rest of the night off. Clear my head. I trust you can manage things?”

“Absolutely, Archousa.”

“Thank you, Theo. I’ll see about getting you some time off later this week.”

Lyssa stepped away from Theodorous’s desk and retired to the room at the back of the building. Hers was the only room located on the ground floor—aside from Theodorous’s room near the opposite side of the building—which offered some additional privacy. She shut the door and nearly collapsed onto the bed, only taking the time to doff her armor back into her inventory. There was a single window in her room, which she had boarded off with a rotating slab of wood for privacy. When it was shut, it bathed the entire room in darkness, no matter the time of day. She could have had Theodorous bring in a light for her, but there would have been little point. Everything in the room stood out to her with perfect detail, if muted color.

After a couple minutes of deep breaths and staring at the ceiling, Lyssa dragged herself off the bed and over to the wash basin. With a touch, the basin filled with stored, heated water. When it was full, she removed the rest of her clothes and lowered herself into it, settling for a long soak. A small sigh, almost a groan, escaped her lips. The constant press of work and administration had sapped her motivation to take basic care of herself. This was the first bath she’d taken in days.

Lyssa rested her head against the side of the basin and closed her eyes. The warm water soaked her to the bone, making her feel like she was floating despite being pressed against smooth wood. After a couple minutes, any thoughts of work completely slipped away. After a couple more, she drifted off to sleep.

Outside, Theodorous continued his work at his desk. The quickly setting sun forced him to read by candlelight. Unbeknownst to him, Elpida had returned to her position by the door, keeping a careful eye on things.

Neither they nor the sleeping elf heard the scratching noise under the floorboards.