Len picked at the food cart that had been wheeled in by Lydia before she went back out with a perplexed look on her face.
The drinking cart had been wheeled over during the ‘interview’ and several of the snifters were empty. He’d cleared the mana gathering formation away as well.
“What about Betty Raskin?” Lilah asked her grandson.
“Dead. Tried to start a sect, but then treated it like a noble hunting thing. People didn’t like that,” Rick said.
“The Alkins?”
“You don’t care about the Alkins.”
“They own some town off in the south right?”
Rick shot his Grandma a look. She waved him off with her glass and drank from it.
“So, everything goes to shit, the nobles hold to the old rules, everyone else doesn’t agree, changes things up. The only power that matters is how far you’ve tempered your body and how much mana you can control. The world is trying to kill us, from beasts to weather. There are new bounties and information to be found. Though they go to the lucky few.”
“Or those that know where they might appear,” Rick pointed out.
“Touche,” Lilah raised her glass in toast. “You’ve altered things activating the ‘system’ and its ‘screens’ well ahead of when it happened in your other life. Setting things into motion that not even you understand.”
She put her drink on the table. “So, what are you planning to do now?”
“Check in on you and Lydia, get you out of here. Go check in on Len’s family. Same thing there,” Rick shrugged and looked at Len.
Lilah turned her attention on him. “Where are your family Len?”
“South, outside Warwick. They’re farmers.”
“Once you have saved us here and them there, what is your plan?”
Len weighed her with his gaze and then looked at Rick.
Rick gave him a tilt of his head that said of his complete trust in her.
Len breathed in, filling his lungs, as the plans and ideas he’d mulled over congealed together.
“We secure the Isendia family and my own. Then we head to Eskon, we build up an industrial and agricultural base, cut a path to the mana vein we found and begin mining it out.”
“And how do you deal with the nobles and royal family there?” She asked.
“How do you mean?”
“You two are used to the kind of strength in arms, not that of politics and twisted hidden plans. Nobles live in them all the time. You are setting up a power base in the city of the royal family and the noble families. Do you know why the old industrial district is no longer profitable?”
“No,” Len shook his head.
“Merchants and industrialists built themselves up, started to make wonders that opened up the world and changed the balance of power and coin. The nobles were pissed, someone was doing better than them. They used their power to hamstring them, and the royal family let them, why?” Lilah watched him.
“Same reason sect masters what their own children to be the strongest instead of an outsider. They know how the nobles and their scions would react, how they could control them. They’ve been doing it for years.”
“Right, the crown gets their taxes, the nobles feel smart and then the upstarts that were getting power without any loyalties are cut down to a size where they’re no longer a threat.” Lilah said.
“So you don’t have much of a plan,” She said.
“You have ideas?” Len walked back to his seat, eating from his plate.
“What of Goran?” She asked, swirling her drink and sitting back in her chair.
Len finished off the morsel he was eating and poured water from his canteen he’d drawn out some time ago and poured it into the cup, using the time to think, draw back what he had seen of the city.
He downed the water and set it to the side.
“You have fields around you, though you’re importing a lot of food from other places. That tells me you have a population higher than what the surrounding land can supply. Based on what I saw in your fields, your fighting forces have been deployed away from your lands, leaving your own farms undefended.”
Len glanced over, Lilah didn’t make to argue, waiting on him.
“You used to have industry but it is gone. You are out on the plains here, you have the space to grow food, which you aren’t. We will need a steady supply of metals, iron, steel, copper to start. There are no mines in the surrounding areas or easily accessible. You will have to import it which will be a great expense, and you either don’t or have few people with those skills.”
“The brains of the outfit.” She said.
“Hey!” Rick complained.
“You might know new things but you’re still my Rick. Though you are too focused on a singular path, one that makes logical sense, but does not take into account the people that would be involved.” She intertwined her fingers and leaned forward on her armrests. “If you were to control Goran completely what would you do?”
“Agriculture needs to be sorted out first. You don’t have mines for many raw materials so would need to build up a massive stock of those. Your city is wide open to attacks, you don’t have any walls. Need to build those back up and make this a defensive position.” Len grimaced. “That’s a lot of work.”
“How long until the apocalypse?” Lilah asked.
“Two years, max?” Rick said.
“Not much time at all, two growing seasons and we have a lot of people inside these walls.”
“We have ways to use the city’s waste and speed up the growth of crops so you can do a season of growing in weeks,” Len said.
“That would be helpful in the extreme.”
“Still it is a lot of work,” Len said.
“We have some forty-thousand souls in this city, that is a lot of bodies to throw at any project. If we’re able to increase their strength as well.” Lilah trailed off.
Len nodded, but held his words. “This sounds nice, and I hate to be this person. Though you are not in power anymore, Rick’s Uncle is and its clear he wouldn’t be interested in this kind of thing. Also from what Rick told me, you don’t have much in the way of material wealth remaining at this time period. Also you’ve lost all the skilled workers and you’re far from the mines, how will you get those things?”
“I will deal with Rick’s uncle, as for workers and the materials, that is an easier problem to resolve than you’d think. How much of our history do you know?”
“Knight family that went from village to town to city, raising a military force of mercenaries through competition and on your travels. Rick’s uncle fucked it up, became divided and were slaughtered,” Len said.
“War and fighting is a brutal thing, it maims, it orphans and it widows. Those that are left behind are usually forgotten. The wealth of the city was built on the blood and bones of our fighters, the city itself was built by the sweat and tears of those that waited for them. The city is very martial in nature, there are not an abundance of jobs in areas that are not around fighting. There are plenty that were raised, lived in or had loyalty to Goran. People that went off to be boilermakers, miners, carters, scientists. We did not have the jobs for them, but if we were to open up the opportunity? Would they not look to help the city that they saw as home?”
Len popped in the last nibble from his plate before setting it to the side. “You will need a great amount of wealth to complete all of this.”
“Thankfully Rick’s uncle, while an idiot does not deal in debt.” Lilah had a wolfish smile. “The banks have been looking to get a part of the Isendia Mercenaries since they were formed. We’ve only grown in numbers and strength. There is more fighting happening than ever just adding to the coffers.” Her eyes hardened. “I’ll have a reckoning with the accountants and every copper that my family took will be returned. Even if their greedy hands have to come with the coin.”
“We will still need a way to go north across the stained mountains,” Rick said.
Lilah drank from her glass to gain time of thought.
“We would need to make something that was capable of going through any environment, and carry a truly massive amount of goods. A train that could build its own railway.”
“Could you train people in your skills?” Lilah asked.
“Done so a few times,” Rick said.
“Though they would need to know how to read as well as numbers,” Len said.
“That is mandatory learning for all of the soldiers we have and their families,” Lilah said.
“That will go a long way to helping,” Len said.
“So will you consider keeping your base of operations here in Goran?” Lilah asked.
“I would need to see a concerted effort from the leadership of Goran, a new one and soon. We do not have the time to waste,” Rick said. “My uncle will never support this.”
Lilah’s expression showed a flicker of sadness before it darkened. “I have plans regarding that.”
“What is your plan here?” Len asked.
“I will need some time, at least till the end of the competition. I’ll play my part of frail old lady while Lydia wins the fight. I need to gather more information, bring back those that are loyal. Then we’ll clear out the detritus and give ourselves a fresh start.” She looked at Len, Rick turning as well.
“You okay with that?” Rick asked.
“Day after the competition ends we’re heading off,” Len said. “I can appreciate you want to right your house, though my families’ lives are under threat.”
“I will have a group of fighters sent out to their community immediately to watch over them,” Lilah said.
Len gave a hesitant nod. “I would appreciate it.”
“You are doing us a favor, it is only right that we return it in kind,” Lilah said.
There was a hurried knock at the door.
“Come in,” Lilah said.
Lydia came through first followed by Everett. “There is someone from the main family here to collect you and take you to the family dinner.”
“Lydia, take Len and Rick off to the guest wing. Take them by the armory. Everett gather the guards and have them meet Rick in the training square. We still have some loyal people. If you can get an old lady like me up and walking I’m curious what you can do with some healthy guards. Does anyone else know of my condition?” Lilah asked.
“No,” Everett said.
“Good, lets keep it that way. We’ll let them cart me around like some totem to ward off evil but this time I’ll be listening instead of trying to fight off sleeping.” Lilah stood and stretched. “I hate the damn wheelchair. Get a cushion next time, will you?” She grumbled.
She threw back the remainder of her drink and walked over to the wheelchair.
“This way,” Lydia said to Rick and Len.
Rick polished off his drink as Len grabbed up his gear, securing it to his body.
Rick joined him, taking one of the crates.
Lilah settled her clothes and took on a dull expression.
“Very good miss,” Everett said.
“Played the role long enough at this point,” She grumbled. “Come on, lets go meet them. Everrett, make sure to call on the accountants.”
Len caught the hardened veteran still and bow his head solemnly. “Yes my lady.”
“Lead on lil sis,” Rick said.
Lydia looked out of the room, up and down the corridor before she hurried off to the right. She ducked down a set of stairs, moving to the back left of the home.
There was a door out of the building at the end of the hallway. Lydia pushed open a door. “Len you can take this room.”
Inside was a sitting area, with a hearth, a door to a bedroom and another to a bathroom.
“Thank you.”
“Rick you can have your old room,” She waved to the last door next to the door.
Len went into his room and put down the crate and started taking off his packs again.
Rick pushed open the door to his room, his footsteps slowing as he walked inside. “Just as I remember.”
“Something wrong?”
“Just feels like a couple of lifetimes since I was last here.” Rick’s voice was soft as he looked around the space.
“Rick,” Lydia said in the voice of someone looking for something.
“Yeah?” Rick asked.
“You said you were going to train up the guards, would it make me stronger too?”
“Yes though it won’t be pleasant,” Rick said.
“This is the only way I can take control of my life instead of sold off like some cattle to make children for some rich creep,” Lydia said.
“Len!”
“What?”
“Want to get started on enchanting gear, I’ll start training people up?”
A bath would be so nice.
“Alright.” Len grabbed up his messenger bag and walked out.
Lydia guided them back through the house to a tucked away part of the building, men were joking and laughing. They turned the corner to see two men standing guard at a thick wood and steel door that was partly opened.
The guards brought their fists to their chests in salute.
“Misstress Lydia, Master Rick,” One greeted, pitching his voice so those in the room could hear, the sounds of chatter dying off, replaced with movements.
“Evening Rory, could you unlock the armory?” Lydia asked.
“Certainly.” Rory turned and pushed the door open into the guard’s ready-room.
There were a half dozen guards in the room.
They rose up to attention as they entered.
“No need for that, just browsing,” Rick waved them off. “As you were.”
There were two tables as well as cots throughout the space, a door leading to the house’s grounds with racks for boots and hooks holding waterproof cloaks.
On one wall was an iron grate door. Rory moved to it and used a key from his belt to open the door.
Inside were racks of weaponry, standard spears, swords, shields, bow and arrows as well as three bolt action rifles and several revolvers. Len picked up a thick paper box of ammunition and opened the top.
He ran a thumb over the lead topped rounds, his atomic sight showing him the powder, the primer as well as the metal composition of the rounds.
“Brass jackets, lead bullets, decent powder,” Len pulled out a round. “Can enchant the bullets for sure, going to be easier if have a press. Do you purchase or make your own ammunition?”
“We purchase it,” Rory said.
“Another thing we’re going to have to bring back to Goran,” Len said, putting the round back in the ammunition paper box and returning it to the shelf.
“Then we can cast the rounds in molds with an enchantment set into them.” Rick picked up a rifle, working the action and checking the breech was unloaded. “Who makes these rifles?”
“They are from the Eridan Aresenal.”
“Where are they located?”
“I think they’re in the capital,” Rory said.
“Ammunition ran out quickly once everything went down and people quickly got stronger than all but melee weapons until crafting advanced.” Len used his atomic sight on the weapon, its secrets revealed.
“Expensive to buy, made by special batch. We’re going to need a whole lot more than these and enchanted versions too,” Rick said.
“As well as a means to create the ammunition. That means smithing, enchanting, alchemy and possibly woodworking.”
“Not the first time we’ve made gear well in excess of the ability of the user to bring up their fighting strength.” Rick held out the rifle to Len. Len shook his head in the negative. Rick closed the bolt action, aiming at the floor and dry fired the weapon before putting it back in its rack.
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“Well I have plenty to work on here,” Len looked through the racks.
“What you thinking?” Rick asked.
“Strengthen the armor with enchantments, maybe lighten? Sharpen up the blades everyone is using, enchant them to keep their edge and decrease weight to the user as well,” Len said.
“Sir!” Someone yelled in the guard room, everyone coming to attention again.
“Alright you lot, Master Rick has come back with a man called mister Len, you’re going to be doing some training with them.”
Rick cleared his throat and weaved around Len and Lydia out to the guard’s ready room.
“Ah, Rick?” Everett said.
Len followed Rick out into the room.
“We were just checking out the state of the weapons and armor,” Rick looked around the room addressing everyone. “Len is going to work on improving everyone’s gear, I was going to do some training out in the yard. Len how do you want to do their gear?”
“I’ll set up on that table,” Len pointed to the least surrounded table. “I’ll need your breastplate as well as your sword.”
“Looks like you two are up first,” Everett pointed at the two nearest the table and started to undo his own sword-belt.
“I’ll get set up in the training square. You got the mana gathering formation?” Rick asked.
“Yeah,” Len put his messenger bag down on the table and took out the two wrapped up mana gathering formations and tossed them over.
“Thanks, come on,” Rick gestured for Lydia to follow, moving out of the ready-room.
“I’ll need paper and ink for the contracts.” Len picked up a breast plate with his forefinger and middle finger.
A guard picked up a stack of papers, pen and ink bottle and put them on the table. He tapped on the metal, and studied it over while he withdrew tools from his messenger bag with his free hand.
Rick and Lydia walked out of the exterior door of the ready room, closing the door behind them.
“Thank you.” Len put down the breastplate an idea forming in his mind as he inked up a bonding enchantment on one piece of paper.
He put it to the side and wrote out the contract.
“The contract is simple, it is just vowing that you will follow the orders passed to you by Rick, his Grandma or a representative that they pick and you will not reveal information that is passed to you or you learn without their approval. It also says that you will not agree to any other contracts and you will have to understand what you’re signing completely before you agree to it.” Len finished writing out the contract.
With his will he drew the ink from the bottle to a mirror copy of the worded contract with a water manipulation spell. He put down another piece of paper and tapped the stamp to the paper putting it to the side and doing the same with a dozen more pages.
The guards were looking at one another with messages in their eyes. Everett watching what was going on, Len could feel the rising interest.
His ‘stamp’ changed to the binding enchantment, and he flipped the half finished pages over before he gathered up the ink into a stream that floated through the air, to the ink bottle. Len dipped his pen into the stream and held it out to Everett and the first two that had dropped their armor and swords on the table.
Everett took the pen and signed on the contract.
The enchantment flared with mana, then the words, the paper igniting a few seconds later as Everett jerked backwards, turning the pen as if it was a dagger, ready to strike.
Len grabbed onto the table as information flooded his mind. Runes, lines, enchantments, lifetimes of study filled his mind.
===
Skill: Enchanter
===
Level: Grandmaster
===
You know how to make enchantments
It takes you 15% less time to create an enchantment
Your enchantments regenerate mana 10% faster
Your enchantments are 20% stronger
===
“Len?” Rick asked.
“That’s a fucking rush, just got back enchanter.” Len pushed himself back up to standing.
There was just a burnt smell in the air and drifting flakes of ash remaining of the paper.
Everett’s hand rested on his dantain.
“The paper is just a mundane material, and the enchantment burns it up with the sheer mana that runs through it. Though it will last long enough for this kind of simple contract. Once its complete its bound to your core and you’ll feel that.” Len held his hand out to Everett. “Pen please.”
“What is this?” Everett asked, handing back the pen slowly.
“You know how you’ve been seeing screens and the stats that show body and mana?”
“Yes.”
“The screens just show the basic information, there’s a lot more that came with it,” Len said. “I will make you items with the power of mana combined. Rick will teach you how to increase your body and mana.” Len held out the pen to the two waiting guards.
One tilted his head in the universal ‘ah fuck it’. He grabbed the pen and signed the contract.
It burned up, this time with less jumping and the soldier, felt his stomach while he handed back the pen.
“Go see Rick out in the training yard.”
The man turned on the ball of his foot and headed out of the ready room. The second guard took the pen and signed on the contract, for it to burn up, he followed after his buddy.
“Alright, everyone sign the contract and drop off your weapon and armor,” Everett said.
One by one they moved up taking the pen and burning up their piece of paper. Len left it to Everett.
Steel armor at least so can do two enchantments. It was best to leave them as simple so he could easily replicate it across all of them. Mana barrier is really general, that’ll add more defense. Would be good to have cores for more power to work off of. Just have to make the channels larger to hold more mana.
The blueprint shifted under his thoughts. Go with a lightening enchantment just on the armor?
The blueprint hovered in front of him, formed of thick lines.
He lowered it into the interior of the breastplate, gathering his tools with his will and carved the enchantment in. He put it to the side as mana started to gather within the enchantment and worked on the second, then a third.
When he stopped only Rory was in the room with him, the doors closed as Rory looked over. “Everyone went to the training yard, I was left behind to watch over the armory and run messages if needed.”
“Right,” Len looked at the swords. “You know how to sharpen a blade?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, get started on those,” Len waved to the ones closest to Rory as he took a blade from its scabbard. “All of your swords are the same?”
“Yes, so we can all use them even if they get mixed up,” Rory said.
“That makes things easier.” Len brought a blueprint into existence. Maintaining enchantment, then weight reduction as well. He played around with their orientation and pattern before landing on a solution he liked.
Rory had got a sharpening stone and was honing some of the blades, others were put to the side. He noticed Len’s movements and gestured at the swords off to the side. “These swords are already sharpened.”
“Perfect.” Len grabbed them with his will and unsheathed one, his tools floating up as his blueprint wrapped around the sword’s blade, forming an outline. Len’s tools attacked the sword as he watched. The sharpened swords landed on his table. His tools finished as he sheathed the blade and drew out another, working on it.
“What is it that you’re doing?” Rory asked.
“Enchanting,” Len revised what he was going to say a few times. Giving him enough time to finish up a second blade. “Mana allows you to affect the world, enchantments takes the mana from the world around us and affect the world in a set manner.”
Len finished with his second sword and picked up Rory’s breastplate, handing it over.
Rory put down his sword and stone, taking the armor.
He frowned as he jerked his hand up as he grabbed it. “What?”
He moved the armor around and then picked up the sword in the other hand. “How is it so light?”
“Using mana I made an enchantment that says ‘this armor is lighter’ then infused it with mana that empowers that rule. So it is lighter. Punch it,” Len said.
Rory put down the sword he was weighing in his hand and punched the armor, a faint blue light flared where his fist struck.
“That’s a mana barrier, should take about seventy percent of the damage the steel could handle before it fails, kinetic like a bullet or hammer to the chest, or spells.”
“Spells?”
“As you get stronger you’ll learn how to weave spells together using your will you create a ‘rule’ and infuse it with your own mana creating an effect.”
Len put the blade he’d finished on back into its sheath before he began on the next.
***
Rick stepped out of the guard’s ready room into the afternoon sun.
A gravel path ran around the home, breaking off into paths towards a landscaped back yard with different secluded areas one might sit.
Lydia closed the door. Rick walked the paths, as if in a memory. They went around the house and down a short path to a square section of thick bushes. An opening had been cut into them, just big enough for a person, leading into a sand filled square.
Rick surveyed the area, then the area beyond, not picking up anyone or anything nearby.
He threw out four of the mana gathering formation markers, using his will to guide them into the corners of the space.
“How could you throw them so accurately.
“By cheating,” Rick said. “I’m using my will to grab onto them and position them perfectly in the orientation I require,” Rick said. He drew out the second set of four and threw them out. They thudded into position, creating a diamond within the first set’s square.
Mana thickened in the space rapidly.
“First, never tell anyone or show them this, but what are your stats?” Rick asked.
“Uhh, I can show you?”
“Just think show stats,” Rick said.
“Okay,” Lydia frowned.
===
Lydia
===
Level: 0
Status: Healthy
===
Body: 7
Mana: 1
===
“We’re going to have to open up a mana gate.” Rick waved Lydia to the center of the double-formation. “Take a seat, sometimes the new sensation can really disorientate you.”
She crossed her legs and dropped down into the sand.
Rick went through the complete cultivation technique while he drew in some of the mana to relieve his fatigue then ran it through his body, taking away his aches and pains. The toxins of the alcohol ran from his pores. He scraped them away and set them alight.
“Hand,” Rick held out his, she put hers in his.
“Okay, so you’re going to feel a release, then you’ll feel a rush of power running into your body. What you’re going to do is breathe. Every breath in you draw in mana, condense it with your exhale and compress it at the very centre of your body.” Rick tapped her upper stomach where her dantain would form. “It’s the same thing that I did with Grandma.”
“Okay.” She nodded, perplexed but willing to try.
“Here we go,” Rick said.
He concentrated his mana and pushed it into her mana gates. The blocked gates cracked and broke away, mana flowing into Lydia’s channels for the first time.
A satisfying crack pierced the space, followed by Lydia gulping in air, pulling in mana as well. Many theorized the reason people breathed in once they opened a gate was because it was a sympathetic response to drawing in mana.
Rick guided her with quick and simple instructions as she picked up the cultivation technique, controlling her mana.
It took her a few minutes to get used to it.
“Good work,” Rick said, releasing her hands.
She opened her eyes, filled with questions.
“Everyone has at least one point to mana, though using it you need to open up your mana gates, you can do this by leveling, alchemy, or having someone pierce it with their mana. That’s what I did. I opened one of your mana gates, that means you’re going to draw in twenty percent of one mana every minute. Though we can cheat with this mana gathering formation to make the mana denser.”
“I got a skill called Mana control?” Lydia said.
“Mana control is a great skill, it will let you decrease your mana cost and increase how fast you can regenerate mana,” Rick said.
“Oh, okay,” Lydia said her screen appearing.
===
15% to Level 1
===
Lydia frowned.
“With one point of mana, one gate open and this double layered mana gathering formation, every minute you should be generating half a point of mana. You’ve been storing this in your core, as you store more in your core then you can advance your level,” Rick explained.
“So I’ve advanced fifteen percent of the way to level one? Is there an easier way?” Lydia asked.
“There are two ways to increase your overall level, kill or create things of the same or higher level than you, each kill or creation will release essence and increase your progress to the next level by ten percent. Or you can temper your body and cultivate your mana. See how you’ve got seven body but only one mana?” Rick said.
“Yeah.”
“Those are your attributes, you increase your mana to two points and you’ll reach level one, three, you’ll be level two and so on. You can’t increase your mana ahead of your body else your body won’t be able to contain the mana and you’ll kill yourself. So you temper your body to increase the attribute, then you cultivate mana and bingo new level.”
“So why am I cultivating? Couldn’t I kill a bunch of chickens?”
“You could, though you’d run out of creatures to fight that an equal level to you rather quickly and you’d need to learn a craft too. This gives you a way to passively increase your levels. Its like training before a battle or jumping into a battle and using that as training.”
“Doesn’t seem very helpful,” Lydia said.
“You’ll be able to take grievous wounds and keep going as you understand the true limits of your body. In a fight you can regenerate mana faster than others lasting longer. As you get stronger you’ll need will to brace yourself so you can use your full force, cast stronger spells, or move things around like you’ve got a dozen hands.” A dozen flames appeared around Rick, turning into different shapes. “To use them properly one has to train.” Rick withdrew the fire spells.
“Though we should see if we can get a bunch of chickens, be a quick way to increase everyone’s levels,” Rick said. He stood up as Everett and two guards entered the training area.
“Now lets move onto the second part, tempering the body and working on your skills. You three come and sit down. I’m going to teach you once and then you’ll teach those that come in after you because I hate repeating myself. Then we can spar.”
***
Len finished with the weapons and armor as a guard opened the door into the ready-room. “Rory you’re up, good luck.”
He staggered in and reached the water bucket, using a ladle to drink. Len could sense the increased mana coming from him.
“That’s your set,” Len pointed to the breastplate and armor as he shouldered his messenger bag and headed for the door.
“Its lighter than it looks and you won’t need to sharpen your blade anymore Tomkins.” Rory followed him.
“Really?” The man gasped as he came up from drinking water.
“Check it out yourself,” Rory said.
Len opened the door, holding it out for Rory who grabbed it. “Thanks.”
“No problem, where will they be?”
“Training square, this way.” Rory took the lead through the yard through a hedge.
Rick had set up three stations. Those in the middle of the mana gathering formation healing their bodies with mana and cultivating, a second group fighting one another as Everett moved among them passing on wisdom and jumping into the fray as he could. The third group were also in the center but Rick was moving among them, fighting them.
Len hid his grimace, seeing the hidden resonating force passing through their bodies.
Tempering as they fight.
It hurt to get hit anyway.
Len tried to recall just how proficient Rick had been with a sword, or any weapon really. His memories returned with one clear distinction; Rick hadn't been that good with a sword before, at least not when the apocalypse started.
By the time it had ended, he'd mastered the way of weapons, among all the other requisite skills one needed to survive.
While Len was great with large spells, Rick had an ability to think on his feet that allowed him to be a great front-line fighter.
He was merciless as he stalked through the fighters and Lydia. "Focus on the breathing," Rick yelled. "The more unconscious it becomes that you draw in mana, the faster you will recover between attacks, as well as gain a trump card in the fight. As your opponent's mana dwindles, you'll at least be capturing some back, allowing you to overcome them if they're at the same core level or above, as long as they're not also using some kind of technique to draw in mana."
Lyudia face was a flurry of emotions; frustration, anger, and clear surprise as Rick not only bested her, but also taught her at the same time, demonstrating a significant difference in skill level.
Rick slipped past her guard, his blade slapping against her thigh, causing Lydia to grunt and nearly fall. She used the motion to counterattack, slashing at where he had been.
He attacked another fighter. “Get that center of gravity lower!” The fight around him seemed to be a choreography as he launched attacks at people as they just started recovering, dancing away as they started to reach their limits.
The fight continued as they tried to catch even the shadow of Rick's clothing. Rick, meanwhile, offered pointers, and when those didn't work, he used his sword to demonstrate how he could penetrate their defenses.
“Could you throw out that sound cancelling enchantment?” Rick asked. “Rory join in with Everett!”
The man jogged off, grabbing a training weapon.
Len moved to an empty section of the training square and threw out the formation. It landed around the training square, the noise continued within but the sounds of the world beyond faded away.
He kneeled down in the empty section he created a blueprint for a stamina recovery enchantment and fused the sand together around his enchantment blueprint into four sandstone pads.
They started gathering mana slowly.
Len got his hand under each of the pads, dragging them over to the center of the mana gathering formation.
He dropped them in the center.
“Sit ontop of these,” Len walked back towards the other two pads. With these their bodies will have the stamina to keep up with the healing and should keep their energy high for the fight training.
A group of fighters entered the training square, looking around.
Len pulled out contracts from his messenger bag. “Sign these and drop off your breastplates and swords on the side.”
As Len worked on their gear and monitored those that were cultivating and healing in the middle of the training square he watched Lydia.
What will you accomplish in this different life? He studied the other fighters, Len and Rick’s knowledge and touch upon them, changing their fate and paths.
Where will the ripples lead?
Len turned his focus on the weapons and armor.
“Food Mister Len?” Everett asked, holding out a bowl.
“Thank you,” Len took it as his tools continued to work on a floating sword. The last runes were completed and the blade sheathed, settling to the side.
He pulled out more blanks. Going to need a few more of these hammered out. He set to recreating his mana gathering and sound cancelling formation markers.
Night was coming on fully, fighters returned with food and tables. Len checked the bowl of rice meat and broth, eating it as he turned his attention back to the fighting.
Lydia had rotated through multiple times most were resting, eating as if starved, their stamina low from all their bodies had been through. The others were on the recovery pads, healing up from the fighting tempering Rick had doled out.
Out of the two she had the most natural talent with her swords and while two weapons was an idiotic move for most, they moved naturally in her hands.
She turned and angled them to push the blows away and create openings.
Len chuckled and grinned darkly. Imagining just how strong she could become. The two siblings danced in the training square. Rick had been advancing his lessons throughout, trimming up her bad habits and also showing her openings in her attacks.
“I’ve seen all kinds of fighters in my life, few reach the level where they can be a teacher. None of them have had this much ability,” Everett said.
Len chuckled as he ate, his tools working on the sound cancelling formation markers, the mana gathering markers completed and tied into bundles in his messenger bag.
Everett raised an eyebrow.
“He’s not even a sixth as powerful as he was.” Len ate from his bowl, watching Rick.
He landed a hit on Lydia's leg, causing her to drop to her knee as he moved out of reach.
Her leg trembled as she stumbled, putting her hands out to catch herself from falling.
"Okay, that should be good for now," Rick said, lowering his guard. Lydia laid down both of her blades, panting on the ground. She spat bloody phlegm to the side, trying to regain control of her breathing.
Len squinted, then looked over at Rick. He was smiling—proud.
His resonating strikes made his attacks hurt a little bit more, but not enough to take her, or any of the fighters he’d faced out of the fight. It forced them to learn how to use the mana breathing technique unconsciously to keep fighting, then control to direct the mana into those wounds, alleviating them as Rick did it again and again tempering their bodies, allowing them to adjust to their new strength as it increased.
Rick helped her over to a recovery pad. Len checked his sound canceling formation markers and put them into his messenger bag.
Then he took out two contracts and laid out terms upon them.
“A sixth,” Everett muttered.
“There be beasts out there Everett, and we were two of them at a time,” Len said.
Rick walked over and laid his training sword on the ground, Len handed him a contract and a pencil.
"Sneaky bastard," Len said and signed his own contract.
This contract certifies that the signee must have all of their faculties, understand and agree to any contract they sign completely, else they will not be bound to the signed contract.
It burned up as Everett looked over.
“What was that?”
“Insurance,” Len said.
Rick shrugged his shoulders right up to his ears. "Well, you know, like seven birds with one stone, right?"
"Fair enough," Len said. “Oh, Everett, we’re going to need chickens, or other easy to kill creatures tomorrow, the more the better and we’ll need a lot more food to keep everyone’s stamina up. What kind of issues will the people tomorrow have?”
“Most are veterans that have served the family loyally, but they are badly wounded. They were the only ones that were able to stay behind as the brigades were sent out.” Everett shook his head.
“Missing limbs, organs? Cracked bones?” Rick asked. “Can I get your canteen?”
Len tossed it over.
“Some are crippled,” Everett admitted.
“As long as they’re still breathing we can put them back together. A healing mage, a doctor or alchemist could do it faster, but we’re not too bad. Though our methods are a bit more crude,” Rick said.
“Crack the bones, put them back into place, fuse them together, then juice up their body with a healing enchantment to build back what they lost.” Len put his finished bowl to the side and took out steel blanks.
Healing enchantments are always tricky mana hungry—and painful. Blueprints flickered infront of his eyes switching altering and changing to the form and function he desired.
“Going to need a lot of food,” Len said.
“Yeah, sucks have to regrow limbs. Above knee is a bastard. Also what we repair is going to be more tempered than the rest of the body,” Rick said.
“So going to have to temper out the rest of the body to even it out,” Len said. “Thankfully we know a guy.”
“You can do it too,” Rick half whined.
“Isn’t it you who’s always telling me about the finesse and control you have with resonating strike?”
“We have to figure out a way to get that to work without needing us,” Rick took another drag of water from the canteen.
“Poison?”
“Freaks people out when you feed them poison even if it will give them a bunch of power. Guess it could kill them,” Rick admitted sullenly.
“Quality, speed and cheap, you can have only have two,” Len said.
“You have known one another a long time,” Everett said.
“Too fucking long,” Rick grumbled.
Len gave him a middle finger. Want thicker lines for the enchantment. Too thin and it’ll melt. The blueprint flipped and altered. That will work.
Len’s tools attacked the blank piece of metal from every direction, their enchantments glowing as they inlaid the enchantment into the blank.
Len’s tools retreated and he caught the blank, checking it and putting it aside before taking out a second and throwing it up, his will holding it in place as his tools went to work for a second time.
There was a great groan from the recovery pad as Lydia forced herself up.
“Best get the little stab-miester some food,” Rick stood up, passing the canteen back to Len.
"It feels like I got hit with a damn carriage, and all the horses got a second run at me," Lydia complained.
"Ah, don't worry, that’s just the adrenaline wearing off. You'll be fine tomorrow. In fact, you'll be better than you've ever been tomorrow," Rick said.
Len received another enchanted block and threw up a third.
Lydia grunted, pushing herself back up to her knee and then up to standing. "So, Mister Len, do you know how to fight?" She asked.
Rick filled up bowls of food, waving off the fighters who were eating.
Rick chuckled as Len gave him a glare. "Who do you think taught me?" Rick asked.
Len did not like the glow in Lydia's eyes as she fixated on him. "Would you be up for a spar, Mister Len?" She asked.
"Len will do just fine, and I think tonight you should focus on finishing tempering your body. Tomorrow, you have another match, right? The semi-finals."
"Yeah," Lydia said, a determined look coming over her as she gripped her swords tighter. Her eyes focused on something unseen to them.
Len grabbed the third enchanted piece of metal, his tools flying away back to where they needed to go, his messenger bag closing overtop as the straps slid home.
"Good training needs good rest. Also needs food and sleep and all of the other things that support life." Len said. "I'm going to go take a damn bath and get some sleep. First time in a long time that I’ve had anything that can be compared to a bed.”
"Catch you in the morning," Rick said as he handed Lydia a bowl of food and she dropped down next to him to lean against the timbers of the training weapon’s rack.
"You too," Len raised his hand in farewell.
Past the bushes, he gave his armpit a sniff. "Yeah, damn. A bath is going to be a good idea." He blinked against the smell of several days of hiking, and then a train ride across Plynthia.
Sorry fellow passengers. I hope there’s soap.