Chapter 49: Aftermath

Landar, Sakura

Landar

The battle raged for nearly a week, until the caravan was slowly able to get out of the gap and to safety in the eastern dutchy. It would take them a while to get to us here in the west, but by the time they got here, Duke Mortimer and the dutchies court seemed determined to have the welcome mat rolled out.

The city got an influx of royal funds from the Duke, and from several of the princes from the capital. My mother and father both got increased budgets, which meant that so did I.

Though to be honest, I didn’t need it. Oh I took it when I was offered the 200 extra silver, don’t get me wrong. But by that point I didn’t need it.

It turns out that our little glass project was a major hit among adventurers who had lots of money to burn, and few luxuries to spend it on. On top of that, several industrial warehouses that stored grain and other flammable airborne material decided that windows that could open were far more cost effective than air pumps, or paying some enchanter to work their magic on a smaller scale.

About half of the smaller warehouses started using our designs, and the Apple Core Court workers quickly ramped up production. Even in the heart of winter, the dredges of the court worked diligently to fill order after order.

By the end of the first month of orders, shortly before the caravan was scheduled to arrive we had earned nearly 800 gold. The industrial sites were more common, but they didn’t pay as well, while the adventurer houses and guild house were smaller orders, but had better profit margins.

I won't bore you with the math. Suffice it to say I had a solid business going, and my drudges were eating very well now compared to how they used to eat. I ensured they had a steady supply of fresh meat, and vegetables, and bread available at least for their morning meal.

Despite increasing the quality and quantity of rations, most of the money went to paying for repairs on the third building. And by repairs, I mean rebuilding it from the burnt out husk that it was, thanks to the machinations of the as of yet not dealt with local crime lords.

He was still on my, albeit every growing, list. But for now, there were more important things to deal with. By the time construction began, and everyone was paid, I only had 50 gold left to my name.

But I had a steady source of income now, and my next payment from the glass store was scheduled for some time in the middle of the semester. Shortly after the caravan arrived. Still a few days out, but close enough that I already had plans for what I wanted to do with it.

Namely? Kill the student debt I had with as much fire as I could. Then? Well, most of the drudges educational levels were abysmal. I was determined to remedy that issue. And show to the entire city, the nobility, my mother, father, and newly adoptive grandfather, that universal education is worth the investment.

The fall out from the fighting was the most disruptive to daily life. Classes were put on hold for the week following the end of the fighting. It was meant to give students, teachers, and the city as a whole time to rest and recuperate from any injuries they might have sustained.

But most of the students used it as an opportunity to get into trouble.

“A whole week was a mistake,” Edna said as I delivered a message from the Duke to her. I had become his messenger during the week of fighting, and as long as classes were out, he seemed fond of using me for the errands, and not his own squires. Why, I had no idea. Maybe he just liked to mess with me.

“Six fights just today.” Complained Kalgar, he was in her registrar records room, sipping tea with her. I still couldn't see his face, shadowed as it was under his helmet. But his eyes seemed to glow with a red menace that was unnatural. “I had to break up two of them. The other four were first years who barely knew how to make a fist, so I didn’t bother.”

“So you didn’t do anything?” I was confused.

“Yup. Hoped maybe it would show them how much work they have to do to become properly dangerous. But none of them seemed to take that lesson from it . . .”

Edna opened the message and read it.

“Your grandfather is a pain in my butt. Portal schedule.” She explained waving the missive at Kalgar. “Getting the wounded off those walking shells, and into proper hospital care is going to be important in some of their cases. Bah.” She drank her tea, and I excused myself.

It was just a few days until classes started up again at the start of the week, and I had some things I had to get done before then.

***

Sakura

It didn’t take long after Landar returned for me to get cornered by Kalgar in the common room of my dorm building.

“I heard you used your new spear sword in the battle to great effect.” He said as he took up the seat next to me. The battle was still raging outside. And soon Kalgar would return to the fighting. But us students were banned from participating. At least for now.

I sighed, and put down the letter I had been working on.

“Difficult letter?” He asked, and I nodded.

“Yes, teacher. To The triplets clan head, and their parents. They might have been estranged, and a largely diminished clan due to their decisions, but they deserve to know what happened.” I choked back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

“Such letters are difficult even under the best circumstances.” Kalgar said, his face still obscured by his helmet. “I have experience writing many of them. Would you like some help with it?”

I thought about it for a moment, and nodded. “That would be appreciated.” I handed over the letter, and he read it.

“This is well done. You have a few places where I might suggest some changes.” he took the ink pen from me, and scribbled some notes along the side of the page for me. “This is the first such letter you’ve written?”

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“Yes. And, no.” I thought back to what had happened with the silkworm business, and what had happened to the workers at the mill where I had fallen with fever. No one had died, but several had been scared out of their minds that their entire village might be put to the torch.

My parents were kind overlords, and I knew they wouldn’t blame the commoners involved. But many clan heads, in fact most of them would have wiped out every commoner within a five mile radius just to ensure no rumor of illness or weakness spread. The letter I wrote that village’s head man had been filled with concern for their well being, and assurance that I was fine and they should not fear for their future.

Naturally they had all already run for their lives. Which was why I had been forced to abandon the mill project. Rumors among the common folk were the cause of most frustrations among the nobility.

While the nobility as a class in the Jade Empire did not have a good general reputation among the mortal common folk. And sadly, it was a well earned bad reputation in many cases.

“Nothing about death of course. But, I've been forced to tell people bad news before. And to help settle nerves.”

He grunted as he finished writing a note. “When is the ceremony?”

“As soon as the caravan is safe in the kingdom my father said he’ll hold one.” A deep melancholy washed over me, and I felt my strength suddenly sapped. I had cried the tears I would cry already over my friends. The night before had not been one filled with sleep.

“Megi and Tegi’s memory will not be forgotten. Nor their sacrifice.” His words were somber, and sounded like church corner stones cracking against each other. As if he were unused to talking. I realized then this was probably the most I'd gotten out of him that wasn’t either battle field orders, or corrections.

A long silence fell over us, as he read and wrote notes and finished his ‘minor edits’ to my letter. By the time he was done it was nearly all his words. I smirked, and read it. He was better. Much better than the tripe I was going to send.

“But there’s nothing in here about Regi. What . . . what should I say?”

“Nothing. They already know about their son's treachery, I am sure. Word of that kind of infamy travels fast. What they need now is knowledge that not all of their children went that route.”

“Not that they deserve it.”

“What do you mean?”

I explained about what triplets had revealed regarding how their clan had treated them, and how their clan head had attempted to get them to fight and kill each other for power because of their strange interconnected cultivation foundation.

“Hmmm. I’ve heard of that kind of thing before. Dark rituals, people grasping for anything to get them more power. It's actually what your people in the Jade Empire guard against most. At least in the north, where I did most of my traveling.”

“I didn’t know you went north. Did you see the Great Wall?”

“I did. And I even learned under Krav’da, a Duke level cultivator, lord of the far western fortress, and grandson of Kad’ra himself. Northerners like Krav’da have a reputation for steely resolve, and cold calculating brutality. A well deserved one. But don’t let that reputation fool you, they cheat at dice just like everyone else.”

I smiled at that. The first time since I returned. In a heartbeat it was gone, my friends' faces replacing it. “I see. I met one of the northern princes once. An embassy to my father before the civil war. Before the dual we saw at the start of the school year.” He grunted in a way that encouraged me to continue. “He said something about protecting us from the dark, or something. Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Exactly. Umber magic is the magic of shadow and darkness. There’s nothing wrong with Umber magic per say, but the place it comes from is very close to the Void.”

“What's the void?”

“I’m no plane walking mage. I don’t know too much about it. But apparently there’s a place that isn’t a place. A place that used to be everything, and now that other things exist, like you and me? And the Gods, and the universe in general? That place shrank. And the things that live or lived in the Void, didn’t take too kindly to it. Voidlings are the weakest of the creatures that come from that place. They’re dangerous, and their magic corrupts creation itself in an attempt to unravel it. To destroy it and return everything back into the void.”

“So how is the Void connected to Umber magic? Other than that they both have the motif of darkness, I suppose.” My mind was trying to focus on other things, clinging to this topic was like a drowning man clinging to a life raft in a few ways.

“Right. Voidlings have cousins called Umberlings from the Umber or shadow realm. Most sorcerers and wizards who use Umber magic try to make pacts with them. They’re not so bad and despite being weird and dangerous things, they’re still part of reality, part of the tapestry of creation. But it's very difficult to distinguish between Voidlings and Umberlings. At least at lower and weaker levels and stages of growth. When they start getting really powerful, well. That’s when the differences start to show. A Prince of the Shadow Realm might respect his Voidlord Cousins. But they are vastly different creatures.

Long story short, a long time ago even before the Jade Empire existed. Before even the mythic floating Cities of the Eldarci or elves? Some other great kingdom or empire ruled this continent. Some schism or catastrophe happened, and that entire empire was wiped off the face of the planet. Sent hurdling into the void some say, others say disintegrated into dust. Can’t be sure, not much remains of them but a few scattered ruins and the massive caldera under the northern ice.”

“There are mountains to the north though. I’ve never seen or heard of a caldera to the north.”

“It's under the ice. Those mountains, past the wall? They’re not made of rock and stone and earth. They’re made from ice. If it wasn’t so far north, it’d be not but sea. Regardless, only a handful of tiny outpost ruins exist. We don’t even have a name for their people. The elves might know more, or have more information about them in their ancient scrolls or libraries. But it is not shared. Not with humanity at any rate.

“That catastrophe ripped a hole in reality. There are now several permanent rifts between our realm, and the Void that exist there. Most are covered in permafrost, or have been capped by ancient temples and rituals that involved the blood and sacrifice of emperors and gods alike. Luckily we know where all of them are. And the wall gives us protection whenever an incursion occurs. The last one just ended a few hundred years ago, Kad’ra put down the invasion, and sealed the breach. He was supposed to be rewarded for that effort. But . . well. You know the rest.”

“His family was assassinated by the emperor, who was secretly a traitor. Or so Kad’ra says.” Nothing could be verified. The battle had happened in space after all. But the northern King had won, and had become Emperor.

He had offered my father amnesty and protection should we wish to return. And when my father turned his offer down, citing the new agreement with the Kingdom, Kadra had sent us a letter of good will which included a plea for help.

“Perhaps once we’re done with the migration . . .” My voice trailed off.

“Then what?”

“Huh?” I looked up from the desk, I had zoned out thinking about the situation.

“You said once we’re done with the migration. Then what?”

“Oh. Uh, then maybe we can go help. Kadra has requested help from my father, mother, and uncle Raif in dealing with some kind of incursion of dark forces. I guess these voidlings might be what he was talking about.”

Kalgar growled in consideration. “Does your father know more about this?”

“I guess.”

“I apologize for needing to leave you, but I must go speak with your parents on this topic.” As he left I heard him say “and inform the duke.” Under his breath.

***

The rest of the time I had spent largely healing. Apparently the damage that Regi had done to my spine wasn’t entirely healed even by King's magic, as several times I woke up from a nap, or stood from sitting for longer than a few minutes one of my feet was numb. Multiple times on the cusp of sleep my back spasmed painfully around the wound.

Several clerics took a look at the wound, and a competent surgeon my mother had sent also examined me. They gave me pills to take, and potions to drink, spells were cast, and in one case the surgeon gave me several dozen exercises to do that would focus on working the muscles involved and retraining them to work together.

“Physical therapy is often overlooked by cultivators.” The old man said as his hands moved over the small scar that marked the exit wound on my back. “It won’t be physically tiring. But it will get your muscles to remember their job, and help them forget the trauma of the injury.”

I wasn’t entirely sure about the factualness of the theory the old man was using. But after a few nights and mornings doing as he instructed followed by a lengthy and liberal stretching routine, the spasming reduced, and then finally ended.

Occasionally I'd still get small spasms walking around. Usually under high stress. But the doctors and clerics all said the same thing. Given time even that lingering side effect would end.

And before I knew it, the fighting was over and the ceremony honoring my friends, and the first day of renewed classes, was upon us.