Ozzy was still light-headed even hours after they dropped into the Conjunction. New ideas were running through his head, and trying to find a home. Eventually, it all settled down. As Joe and Old Smoke had warned him, things were a little different now.

Welcome home to the Conjunction.

Your travels in the smoke have changed you and gifted you with the ability to store heat in your furnace. There are advantages and downsides to this. Some types of magic will work poorly against you, and some will have a greater effect. Let's say that Woodrat isn't the only one who has to worry about snowballs. You'll figure it all out.

Heat in the Conjunction:

Only Heat and Smoke are tracked. Fuel is the food in your stomach. If you are hungry, using fuel will cause damage to your stamina. Spells from the Aspect of Heat will draw heat directly from your furnace. Spells that require smoke will drain your reserves and then require smoke be made from fuel and mana. There is no limit to the amount of smoke you can make, but it can only be replenished by burning mana.

Or stealing the life force of sentient creatures, but good Butchers don't have that skill. No, not judging you.

Heat can be replenished by absorbing it from something else, which drains stamina at a rate of 10 stamina to 1 heat.

You may also regain heat by eating. Certain foods will give more heat, and producing heat takes more food than normal. Normal food and drink will replenish 50 heat per day. Fuel heavy foods such as smoked ham, coal, and dwarven whiskey will restore much more.

Mana Conversion: 1 heat + 5 mana = 10 Smoke

Furnace (Maximum Heat): 50 x Level (11)

+The aspect of Heat: +50 x Rank (8)

+The aspect of Radiance: +50 x Rank (1)

+The aspect of Fire: +50 x Rank (10)

+Ambrosia of the Gods: +500 (currently 2)

Current Furnace = 2500

(Smoker) Maximum Smoke: Aspect of Smoke x100

+(COR + RAD) x 50

Current Smoker: 3550

In a short time, you have learned to cast many spells without the practice essential to understanding how your magic works. You will gain a better idea of what each spell does and how it can be enhanced by heat from your furnace by using them. Go burn a few things.

You have gained the Aspect of Heat. This is a complex aspect.

You have learned the Spell: Butcher's Breath.

You have learned the Spell: Shielding.

You have learned the Cantrip: Absorb Heat.

You have retained your furnace: Max Heat = 2500 Current Heat = 2500

You have gained smoke storage. Max smoke storage = 3150. Current Smokehouse = 3150

You have gained the Aspect of Wood.

You have learned the Spell: Infused Wood

You have learned the Cantrip: Shape Wood

You have gained the Aspect of Radiance.

You have upgraded a cantrip to Spell: Cleanse

The Aspect of Smoke has grown more powerful

You have learned the Spell: Smoke Breather.

You have learned the Spell: Jaws of the Void.

You have learned the Spell: Smoke Creation.

You have learned the Spell: Chain Drag (A more powerful version of the Butcher skill.)

You have combined aspects of your Chain Drag and Woomera skills into a new Spell: Smoke Lance.

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Rolly jogged into the refugee camp as the sun was coming up. "We have trouble coming from two directions, Ben. The raiders that burned out the last village picked up the trail of the wagons that joined us yesterday. They're taking their time. They don't have to hurry at all with how slow we have to move. But they'll hit us by noon if we don't slow them up. Squirmy has some plans. Traps, some ambushes, and a final heroic charge. If that bridge gets finished, it might buy you enough time to get across the river. But there's something else you should know. That Red Banner group is better than they look. If they come after us, we won't make it, heroic deaths or not. And we can't handle both groups."

Ben cursed. This was so stupid. PinchPenny was burning out his own people, declaring them bandits and harrying them north. Suzette had convinced Billy that a few hundred farmers plus lots of cleared land would be profitable. Certainly more profitable than a huge refugee camp outside of Rowan Keep. And Alchemarx was involved in all parts of it. PinchPenny wasn't talking to anyone, and the corporation was running most of Northguard. Rumor had it that the miser Baron had suffered a breakdown. Rolly had begun negotiations with him but received no replies to his later letters. It was a nasty mix of politics and corporations competing with each other, and ordinary people were caught in the crossfire, just like in the old world. Ben hated it.

Families were sleeping under their wagons and make-shift tents made from stretching tarps between wagons. Tiny, nearly smokeless fires were burning, and porridge was being prepared for the children. Rolly had found three feral cows and convinced them to join the caravan and donate some of their milk. The adults were getting by on dried apples and smoked meat from Sedgewick, but Rolly insisted on better food for the younger children. The wagons held everything these people owned. If the cavalry attacked, they'd be forced to leave the wagons and flee into the woods, scattering and hoping to make it across the river. Some would get lost. Some would die. All of them would be destitute.

Rolly had done a great job of gathering information, though, which might give them a chance. It all depended on whether what he suspected was true. "Feel up to a little ride, Rolly? Let's go visit Captain Bernice."

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The Red Banner had good scouts and long before Mudhead got close to the camp, they had been seen. The cavalry troop looked like it was almost ready to head out. In the camp, Bernice was wondering why she had an Imperial Courier heading to her camp. The man had someone riding behind him and was coming in at a normal pace. Couriers could move extremely fast when they had to. The big roan was barely breathing hard. Bernice went to meet him.

Like all couriers, the man couldn't resist a fancy dismount. After a leaping roll, he removed his hat and bowed like he was in court before placing it under one arm. The other man slid off the horse and patted it affectionately. He pulled out an apple and gave it to the roan but otherwise kept his distance. The courier stepped forward.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Greetings, ma'am. Benjamin of the House of Franklin, at your service. I was wondering if we might take some time to speak this morning? I've heard that the cavalry hired by Baron PinchPenny are busy herding refugees north, but you have some very fine horses and starving farmers with children move slowly, so I think a small delay while we talk won't make much difference in how their day is ruined."

Bernice colored, and some of her guards muttered to themselves. The man's words were flowery, but the tone was scornful. She got herself under control before she answered. "What my company does is our own business. What do you need to talk about?"

The courier indicated the entire company. "Why, your horses. Your wonderful horses. Your men might be rough around the edges, and their gear might be old, but your horses are in fine shape, and their saddles are a notch above what even the Legion uses. Underneath that coat of old stain is some fine leather. Good saddles and tack to go with mighty fine horses."

The Captain scowled. "If you are trying to delay me, you need more than some talk about our nags. Red Banner is known for their good horses; we only buy the best."

Ben quirked an eyebrow. "But did you buy all of these? They're a tight-knit group. All of those horses come from breeding lines that go back to a stallion called King Red. Some of your mounts he sired directly, and others are one or two generations out. And many are also from the same dams. It's very suspicious that even a wealthy mercenary company always buys horses from the same stable. And from what I hear, the stud fees on King Red were quite expensive."

Bernice glanced at the horses and back to the Courier. "Bullshit. No one can tell the genealogy of a horse by looking at it."

Benjamin turned to his companion. "She has a point, Roland. How did you come by this information."

Rolly moved forward and bowed clumsily while holding a burlap sack. "Easy. The horses told me. They're very proud of their heritage. I know how all of them are related. We talked about a lot of things, like how they can't wait to get back to their cozy stables in Wolfsburg."

One of the men laughed. "The horses told you?" More laughter came as Rolly's words were repeated back through the ranks.

Bernice stared hard at the man. At first, she couldn't identify him, and then he winked at her.

Rolly (The Lord of Ducks) ( Hero)

Level 13

Contract Worker: Heroic Shepherd

He grinned. "Shepherds talk to animals. It's sort of our main job."

Bernice was getting angry. "I simply will not believe that you snuck into camp and talked to my horses." From behind her came the sound of horses snorting and whinnying. Her soldiers saw that many were rolling their eyes. Bernice put a hand on her face, took a deep breath, and prayed for calm. "Shit. I am not going to let it be said that I had less sense than a horse. What is it that you want?"

Ben said very calmly. "A moment of your time for a private conversation?"

Bernice dismounted and walked with him a short distance away. Rolly started tossing apples to the horses and calling them by name. Each horse snatched the apples out of the air with expert precision, making their riders nervous.

Ben looked at the mercenary captain. "We've observed you. I won't say how, but we've seen what you've done since before you went past Northguard without stopping. I couldn't put it together at first. I don't know what you said to Alchemarx, but you didn't sign a contract. Nor did you talk to PinchPenny. Mostly you just rode around, observed, and made it look like you were doing a job for the Baron. It's a sham. But with Rolly's information, it becomes clearer. Most likely, you are spying for the Duke on what is happening in the northern part of his lands. You also don't like what you saw. Your men are better than common mercenaries. And very protective of you. Six of them are ready to charge over here if I make one wrong move. Getting close?"

Bernice sighed. "Close enough. Now what?"

Ben pointed to the forest. "Barely three miles in that direction are two-hundred and fifty-seven adults and one hundred forty-six children trying to make it to Rowan Keep without being robbed or killed. Only a few miles behind them are two dozen of Alchemarx's thugs. Rolly and I are going to go kill as many as we can to buy the refugees time. We invite you to join us. We'll be going now. Follow us, go home, or try and stop us. That's up to you."

The shepherd started running toward the forest. Shimmering green scale-mail armor covered his clothes. From the air came a large hawk that landed on his shoulder. The roan horse trotted to the Courier, who leaped astride, saluted with his hat, and rode off. Bernice considered his words for a moment. Her husband wouldn't be happy with her attacking troops technically attached to Northguard. But he'd be more upset if she didn't. And she'd hate herself for not helping those people. She was frustrated, but a good workout would help.

"Mount up, follow those two, and be prepared to hit hard. My bodyguard on me. Put squads one and two right behind us in a lance formation. Scouts are to split and guard our flanks until we engage, and then I want you in their backfield, cutting off runners. Let's go."

Two hours later, the bodies of twenty mercenaries who didn't have the sense to surrender were dumped into a large grave. Four smarter men had their hands bound and were starting the long trip back to Wolfsburg with the Red Banner. The refugees had made it to the river, where a dozen men were laying massive logs across the river to make a temporary bridge. As the last wagon crossed, someone shouted. High in the air, a gleaming ship was sailing through the sky, heading to Sedgewick. A message flashed before everyone's eyes.

Global Announcement

Captain Ozymandias Shipbreaker has journeyed to the elemental planes and sailed upon the Seas of Smoke. Together with Captain Woodrat and the crew of the Smokejammer, Splinter, they have traveled between the elemental planes and the Conjunction. These planes are now open to those brave souls who can find their way. Four temples of the Elements can be found somewhere on the mortal plane of the Conjunction. Perhaps in their depths is a good place to start a Journey into the Unknown?

Seek the Temple of Fire and Smoke in the lands of the Empire.

Seek the Temple of Frost and Skye to the far North and the lands of the Maple Priests

Seek the Temple of Waves and Ooze beneath a Forbidden Tower in the sea near Shadowport

Seek the Temple of Grinding Earth and Magma in the Desolation of Typhon

The courier and the shepherd said quick good byes, mounted and prepared to ride off, trying to race a flying ship and get home to welcome home a wayward butcher.

The combination of the message, the hasty leave-taking of the courier and the shepherd, and the golden ship sailing north wasn't lost on Bernice. One more thing she was going to have to deal with at some point.