Courtesy of Lady Crane’s ostriches, the party traveling from Crownbeak made quick time through the rest of the eastern Valterre. At first, Max found the feathered mounts strange, but after several hours of travel he grew to appreciate the fluffy, long-necked bird. They were much faster than expected and their even strides made for a surprisingly smooth ride. Even Entrails’ ostrich eventually gave in, resigning itself to its unfortunate rider. The warrior himself grumbled less as a result, but he still cut an amusing figure teetering atop his wobbly-legged ostrich.
Every now and then, the Crownbeak escorts rode ahead to scout, but always they returned with nothing to report—no bandits, no ambushes, nothing lying in wait. Whether by plain good luck or timing, the group had no encounters the rest of the way. Perhaps it had something to do with their increased numbers, but somehow Max doubted it. Four dudes on ostrich-back don’t exactly scream dangerous or threatening, but what did he know?
By early evening, the woodlands had begun to thin, with the trees becoming smaller and more spread out. Instead of thick trunks and bushy branches lining the road, the ground was covered with saplings and low foliage like ferns and flowerbush. Soon the forest gave way completely, opening up to the rolling plains below. In the distance, the spires of Tiann glinted in the honeyed, golden light of the evening.
It was at this point their escorts turned around, barking a terse “goodbye and good luck,” before disappearing back the way they came. Max was glad to be rid of them. With the soldiers as company, he felt he couldn’t speak as freely as before, knowing anything overheard between Entrails and himself would get whispered back into Lady Crane’s suspicious ears. We aren’t out of the woods just yet, the warrior had said. Keep your mouth buttoned until they’ve left. According to him, Lady Crane had sent the escorts as much to spy on them as protect them. When they were finally gone, Max found himself breathing easier.
There, at the treeline, Entrails made the call to set up camp. It’d take them another full day to make their way across the plains to the city, and acceptable camping grounds were more difficult to find once they moved fully into the farmlands. Here, most of the land was partitioned into plots of varying sizes, owned and managed by individual players. To camp in these areas, one had to gain permission from the farmer in question and Entrails claimed he simply didn’t want to deal with the hassle of haggling the fee. Instead, he walked a short distance from the road and placed the campsite just outside the forest’s edge.
After some charred duck fresh bread for dinner, supplies also the courtesy of Lady Crane, Max sat back in contentment. The sky had darkened, revealing a sea of twinkling lights stretching all the way to Tiann. Entrails said that each little cluster belonged to a farmhouse or manor, and only then did Max realize how many hundreds of plots there must’ve been. He fell asleep wondering what that was like, getting to own your own piece of land to design, farm, and upgrade…
The next day, Max awoke early, ready for a fresh start. The morning sun spilled across the plains. After the damp and darkness of the forest, the bright colors of the farmlands were energizing. Entrails was already up, packing away the campsite. He too seemed eager to leave.
“Cold breakfast this morning,” he said, tossing over a hard breadroll. “We still have a ways to go and I want to reach Tiann by nightfall.”
They ate quickly, and once packed, retrieved ostrich mounts tied to a nearby tree and set off. Max was looking forward to the rest of the journey, glad to put the dangers of the Valterre behind him. When he told Entrails as much, however, the warrior held up a hand in warning. There were still hunting zones, he explained, as well as infamous dungeons constantly spawning monsters. Not to mention a constant stream of dynamic content. Buried crypts, lost caves, sunken ruins and all manner of secret landmarks were being uncovered all the time. Just because the plains were less dangerous in comparison, life could still be extinguished at the drop of a knife.
“Even here, never let your guard down,” said Entrails. “It may look serene and settled, but it’s not a safe zone.” While these hexes were low level compared to the woodlands, random events still kept people on their toes. Though rare, bandits were known to periodically target and raid farms. More common were the packs of grey wolves who’d appear to murder livestock before running back into the forest. “Worst of all, though,” said Entrails, “are the wyrms. Bastards pop up from the ground without any warning. But I’ll bet you could dig up any inch of the plains and find a wyrmtunnel underneath! This region is crawling with ‘em.”
“Yeah, I almost wish you hadn’t told me that.”
“Don’t worry, they aren’t that big. The surprise ones, I mean.” Entrails thought for a moment. “The big ones… those you can feel coming. But you can outrun them.” The warrior looked down, suddenly realizing something. “On a horse, at least.”
“Are you telling me these things aren’t fast enough to escape a giant wyrn?”
Entrails shrugged. “I have no idea. But I’d rather not find out.”
The ostrich below him squawked in agreement.
Still, despite Entrails fear-peddling, the was some measure of relief when the woods were at their backs. The brazen, unchallenged daylight had a mood lifting effect, and the openness of the plains meant that the roadside didn’t need to be watched constantly. With no giant tree trunks or dense foliage, there were far less places suitable for an ambush. Max felt a shiver whenever he thought about the wyrms which may or may not be slithering underground at any time, but he also hoped that Entrails was merely giving him the worst case scenario.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Hopefully.
It didn’t take long to see the truth in Entrails’ warning. As they moved into the outer plains, they passed through meadows and small outcrops, copses of trees and ruined carts left to rot on the side of the road. There were farmhouses as well, but they were sparse this far away from the city. At first, Max and Entrails had encountered no one along the road, but as the sun rose they began to pass other travelers. Most looked to be weary adventurers heading for the hunting zones and event areas in these parts. Few even acknowledged he or Entrails.
Soon the terrain became more even. They began to come across great swathes of land sectioned into lots. Though there were a variety of regular sizes from small to large, there seemed to be an organizing principle, though Max couldn’t say what it was. Many of the farms they passed seemed to be growing the same red-berried bush, but there were others who had an orchard or beehives instead. There were a few farmers here and there tending to their products, but it seemed others were content to let them grow without any extra effort.
Max and Entrails passed by small farmhouse with an orchard. A man in simple clothes stood atop a stepladder, plucking apples from one of his trees. When he noticed the duo, he smiled and waved. Max waved back, while Entrails gave a slight nod.
“Let me guess,” said Max, after they’d left the orchardist in the distance. “These people are slaves, too?”
“Not quite. They’re freeholders. A step up from slavery… At least they have land, even if they technically have to pay taxes on it.” All the plots were privately owned by each freeholder, which allowed them to nurture a number of crops and different products. Some had nothing but aviaries, while others had dug a number of ponds for hatcheries. The property of another was full of different trees tapped for their syrups. The closer to Tiann they got, the more and more these farms bustled with activity. Everywhere was someone tilling the soil, getting rid of pests, upgrading their homes with new additions and features.
Every now and then, Max would notice a house in the distance, far larger than anything else around it. Entrails explained it as a Manor, whose zone of influence spread to any number of smaller plots around it. Though the Manor didn’t own its constituent plots, it still received a cut of each’s products. However, unique in this system was the fact that freeholders got to vote on who would occupy the Manor. Only players wealthy enough to afford the tax could be eligible, but the profits that accompanied a Manor were desirable indeed. A Manorlord also voted on royal decrees, which could affect crop yields and prices in any given season.
A well-run manor and its freeholders increased the profits for all, which incentivized Manorlords and Ladies to defend their constituents with paid guards and mercenaries. Many Manors, however, had fallen into the wrong hands at some point, and were now corrupt, run by coercion and intimidation. As they passed, Max tried to figure out which lands were well-managed and which ones weren’t, but he couldn’t tell easily.
Along with the increasing number of farmhouses, the road too became more populated the closer they got to Tiann. Farmers walking to and from their fields and orchards; merchants traveling with a pack, cart, or caravan; monks and clerics on pilgrimage; the occasional solo adventurer. Patrols of spear-carrying footsoldiers grew in frequency also, their tunics emblazoned with two golden wings on a royal blue background.
According to Entrails, it was the sigil of Tiann. A duchess known only as Sofia of Tiann sat in the High Seat of the Tier 2 city. With her influence spread across the six surrounding hexes, it was the second-most powerful city in the region, lesser only to the Tier 1 city, Dannamore.
The nearer they got to the city, Max felt himself becoming more excited—but it was bittersweet. It seemed against all odds he’d make it to Tiann, but with what had happened to Alby, it didn’t feel a victory. With everything he’d just been through, it’d been easy for Max to forget the beginning of this journey… but with the goal so close at hand, Alby’s absence stung sharper. Without his help, Max never would have made it this far.
What if it was all a mistake? Max didn’t know what he was doing any longer, he’d just been putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to stumble into a snake pit. What if he got to Tiann and there was nothing for him here but worse options? Alby’s brutal death would have been for nothing.
Max shook his head, steeling himself from further doubt. Giving up at my most important achievement so far? It wouldn’t do. Whatever Tiann held, he’d have to figure out a way. For he and Alby both.
Finally, as the sun was once more approaching the horizon, Max felt comfortable saying that he’d reached his destination. Tiann’s high stone walls looked tall from a distance, but only when Max was directly beneath did he realize just how much they dwarfed him. The gate on this side of the city was wide and bustling with activity, funneling in the many travelers entering the city after the day’s work. Carts and pack animals and mounts and soldiers all coalesced here, where surly guards lined the gates, their eyes alert and searching. When they saw Max and Entrails dismounting near the portcullis, they pointed and sniggered.
“What, never seen an ostrich before?” said Entrails to the guards, as they joined the throng of people being swallowed into Tiann’s western gate.
At that moment, Entrails’ mount turned and hissed at the unimpressed guards—who jumped back, startled.
“That’s what I thought!” said Entrails. "You know, this bird is starting to grow on me."
Max laughed as the steady flow of people brought them through the city’s thick stone walls. As the city opened up on the other side, he allowed himself to experience the moment fully—and Tiann did not disappoint. It may not be how Max planned to get here, or how he’d prefer it to have happened… but the fact was he’d actually made it to Tiann. That had to count for something, even if Entrails had both figuratively and literally carried him here.
Suddenly, he felt his mount tug. Entrails had grabbed the leather reins and was tugging gently.
“C’mon, this way,” he said. “There’s someone you need to meet.”