Petor’s eyes moved over the scraggly bush with what looked like dried out peppercorns the size of his fist held in its middle. Three days of work had produced this variant.
Starting to take on some of the traits I want, though its not far enough along. He released the plant grabbing the pencil behind his ear, to write on the pad of paper on his left knee.
He finished his notes, pencil back behind his ear as he shuffled along the front of the trough to the next bush. The branches constricted inwards slightly. Petor touched the plant, releasing the building tension. Temperamental damn bush.
He kept his left hand on the pad of paper as he studied the plant, finishing up his notations and standing.
“Lunch?” Valter asked, sitting on a chair, a second across from him.
Petor’s stomach let him know he was truly hungry and ready to eat something.
“Yeah that sounds like a plan.” He took out some nuts and threw them back, grabbing a canteen and sitting in a chair adjacent to Valter and looking at the full planters. Working on getting them to maturity and his success with the blended hellfire thistle and ever burning bramble had built up his essence, pushing him closer to a solid green core.
“How goes the forging?” Petor asked.
“Just working on the breastplate, last part and I’ll have complete upper body coverage,” Valter said. “Should be done on time, a bit before I’m thinking.”
“Looking forward to it. I thought that armor was expensive before Mya said how much her gear is going to cost,” Petor said.
“I’ve never heard of a gambeson like what she’s talked about. I’m interested. Having two rare grade pieces of armor ontop of one another can’t hurt either,” Valter said.
“Agreed, but my gold count doesn’t as much. You going to lend her gold?”
“Just have enough to buy my information. Wish I could though. I’ve seen her trading before. I pity anyone that goes up against her,” Valter smirked before chewing on some jerky.
“Yeah, I thought the same too. Going to take a bit to build back up my reserves after all this gear. I thought we had it made with the Dimantium armor honestly.”
“Reason that a knight’s ransom is usually on their back,” Valter said.
“Yeah. Well at least Limos has plenty of paying jobs for us and with Mya trading as we go it could be a great opportunity to earn a bit extra.”
“It is the water plane, she could want a few more ships?”
Petor opened his mouth to make a joke. “Well I guess, yeah with the new gear and the way we fight. It could work. Honestly some more time training with those cannons wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Mesurial is one fine ship, it will be nice to be on the waves again. As unnatural as they are,” Valter’s dry tone capturing wry amusement. “So what are you doing” He waved to the planters. “Doesn’t look like you’re just growing more plants to use them as ammunition.”
Petor took an extra second, catching up with the other man’s words and coming out of his own thoughts.
“After the port raid I started really looking into plants.” Petor said through his jerky. “Then I got stuck in the greenhouses and there was nothing but to look at the plants.” He said with that dry humor. “It was as I was working with them and the people there. They talked of how they were related to one another, to us. It flipped something in my mind. I can drain from plants, from people, from living things. I can also give to them. When I worked with the plants again I felt the resonance that I do when I’m healing people. I just connected with them deeply.”
Valter gave a grunt of understanding. Petor looked over in question.
“I don’t know if it’s the same, but it feels like how I am when I’m smithing. Things just flow together, the knowledge of where to hit, how to hit, the temperature differential.” Valter turned to Petor his voice gaining the lightness of discovery. “The more I trained in fighting with the troops the greater my understanding of temperature, of the world around us. Its,” Valter’s hand shifted as if trying to grab something that wasn’t physical. “It feels like piercing the veil of the world to another part of it. It also feels like it’s a rare gift. Something that few can see, but then those who see it can’t think of not seeing it?” His eyes focused on Petor’s, looking for understanding, answers, something to crack that opening up a bit more.
“I get you, its.” Petor grasped with his hand. “Its like another world, but adjoined to this world.” Petor snapped his fingers. “It’s like when you’ve come out of training or learning something. That information fills your mind, you see its application everywhere. Though you talk to others and they don’t see it and you don’t understand why not.”
“And the more that you learn about that thing. The less people understand. At first you have to learn, to get the information to interpret what you’re seeing and understanding. Then its like, its clicked. You don’t need the information, its become a secondary sense.”
“Yes!” Petor snapped his fingers. “Like when you learn a weapon the first time. You have to get your body to move in ways you don’t understand. Build up the muscle, the memory.”
Valter nodded along, excitement carved into his features, the two of them connected by thought.
“Then you’ve learned that movement, the parts, the components. Now you’re up against others and you use the moves, see what they do, as you advance you start to read them. Then it becomes background. Your movements, your thoughts, instinct they’re all wrapped up together in a way you can’t understand fully.”
“When you block the blade you didn’t see coming, become distant from the fight, watching it as if you’re not a part of it. Your removed from it all, but right in the heart of it,” Valter said.
Petor nodded, his blood pumping, a thrill running in his veins and muscles. “Gods, its, its like you’ve connected to the world. You’re flowing with it. There’s a peace, an understanding to it all.”
He took in a breath and let it drain from him fully. “Want to spar later?”
Valter broke out into a laugh. “I’ll take you up on that. When it comes to fighting I think that we’re starting to get a better understanding of one another but we really need to start training together.”
“Get that understanding and instinct down,” Petor nodded.
“Right.”
“Well I have time between checking plants to do a bit of sparring,” Petor looked around the yard. “I should be able to regrow anything that we mess up.”
“The front right yard we can use. I fought with Desari there a bit,” Valter said. “The whole place has been made to survive practically any attack.”
Petor’s questions died on his tongue, turning to a shrug. “I guess it is Desari’s house.” He ate the remainder of his jerky.
“Not what I expected, but the more I learn of her and see here. It fits.” Valter pulled his eyes from the house and to the planters just beyond the forge, tilting his chin to acknowledge them. “So, what you got growing there?”
“Boulderberry bush,” He pointed at the one he’d been working on last holding its oversized peppercorn seeds. “I’ve got the regular version in the first one, in the second I am going to see if I can cross breed it with the stormvine, the third I’m trying it out with the hellfire thistle.”
“Breed them together?” Valter asked.
“While I was in the greenhouses they were teaching me about plants, different ways to get them to take on one another’s aspects. Mixing pollen of different plants to hope they take on various attributes. I’ve got a way to kind of cheat that.” Petor grinned. “I use my plant growth spell to guide the plant to take on certain attributes from various pollens.”
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He squinted and waved his hand in a so-so motion. “Sometimes I can get it right, other times I’m well off the mark. Thus, the testing and several plants. The first generations was just to grow up the plants. This second generation are made from seeds produced by the first generation mixed with other plants.”
“So the one that looks like a coiled spring is the Boulderberry bush, what about the other two?” Valter asked.
A plant was growing out of the stone that filled a trough, it looked to be formed from a yellow-translucent material, veins of grey running through it. Tiny branches tinkling together in the wind.
The other had a green stem as thick as Valter’s calk and a flower of blue petals as wide as his chest.
“The blue petaled one is the Galeseed flower. When triggered by the wind it contracts and spits out its seeds as big as a pinky in the direction of movement, with speed that can pierce armor. I’m looking to see if I can make it grow larger and then change the seeds to have additional effects.”
Petor pointed at the last plant. “That nice chiming one is the Crystal-fall Willow. Very mana intensive it digests the minerals from the stone it embeds itself, each leaf is razor sharp, it kills animals that get too close, their bodies consumed to fuel the plant. When someone walks into its range it whips its branches, hurling the razor-sharp leaves at the intruder.”
“Sound lovely,” Valter said.
“Pretty dangerous, though with my plant growth I can keep them inhibited and not attacking us. I have hopes for the boulderberry and the dandelion. I am thinking of trying to cross the crystal-fall willow with the Ever-burning bramble, Hellfire Thistle and the Galeseed. It takes just so much mana and mineral rich environment to grow it would be really hard to recreate on the fly.” Petor shrugged.
“So you want plants flinging seeds?” Valter asked.
“The vines and brambles take up my ground cover, the thistles are traps throughout. They slow and harass. With modified Galeseeds or Boulderberries I can create artillery. Take the sharpened edges of the Crystall-fall willow, its roots digging through stone and mineral. The hellfire thistle’s explosive nature, the ever burning bramble’s rate of growth and consumption of bodies.”
“I didn’t think you could breed plants like that,” Valter said.
“Not many can and I think most are thinking on how to increase the amount of food they can get out of them and the profits, instead of turning them into weapons.” Petor snorted. “Going to be some killer weeds.”
Valter gave him the blank stare of a man suffering mental damage in real time.
He shook his head. “So how long will it take you to create that?”
“Well I’ve had a lot of progress with the Hellfire Thistle and the Ever-burning bramble. Probably because I know them so well. I’ve been able to bring the Ever-Burning Bramble’s consumption ability to the Thistle, creating a high rare variant. It grows much faster, sucking nutrition out of the ground air and water around it. If a needle hits a person they need to get it out and quick else it will start to consume them and grow.”
Valter grimaced. “That’s rather nasty.”
“But effective,” Petor shrugged, it wasn’t a defense, it was just the reality of what they were dealing with. If they hit someone with it, they weren’t trying to be friends. They were in the problem solving business and if a problem was in their way they’d need to take it out before it took out them.
Valter tilted his head in acquiescence.
“Now I’m trying to get the Galeseed and the boulderberry to modify their seeds to take on the same attributes as the hellfire’s seed pod. Once I have that, then I’m going to have to get them to grow seeds much faster.”
“Are you expecting to go up against an army?” Valter asked, his tone hinting at humor.
A heaviness settled in Petor’s chest. Those that he had served with, those that might still be in the military. The new the young the unknowing that fought for Yaaseen, not knowing her true face. The paladins that did and fought for her anyway. “I might.”
The front gate’s bell rang out, the quick strong way of one in a panic.
Valter and Petor looked at one another. Petor grabbed up his canteen he’d put down on the ground at some point, opening and drinking from it as they walked towards the front gate.
The ringing became harder and faster.
Valter and Petor broke into a jog. Petor sealed the canteen and stored it. They ran through the yard their mounts were resting in, Mesurial was drinking while Ignus took in the sun, Mirradon and Rezzie were checking out their garden together.
Ignus’ head tracked them as he pushed his metal bulk up.
Petor slowed, breathing out once forcefully through his nose and then back in, calming his heart and breathing.
Valter slowed next to him as they walked out onto the main path.
“Mister Valter!” The messenger’ eyes were wide as he slapped his hand to his chest. He was wearing the uniform of the Trinity Armed Forces. “A group of trainees went and challenged a dungeon on their time off. They haven’t been seen in twenty-four hours.” He said it all in a rush, fighting to calm his breathing.
“What of the other dungeon delving groups?” Valter asked.
“They have all been deployed to other events, there is a hold on dungeon diving as there are no backups available.”
Valter clicked his cheek. “What level is the dungeon?”
“Orange flecked with yellow.” The messenger said.
Valter looked at Petor.
Petor turned and headed for the yard where their mounts waited. “I’ll get the horses saddled.”
“Right,” Valter pulled on his own thick gambeson, his eyes falling on the messenger. “Details on the dungeon.”
Petor started mentally checking his gear and pulled out his own gambeson and threw it on over his stained shirt, grabbing his communication crystal.
Mana flowed through it as he passed through the hedge.
The words between Valter and the messenger obscured as he whistled. Mirradon’s head snapped up and moved over to him. The others looked over too.
“Ignus you too.”
He swore the mount of metal smiled as an illusion rippled over him, he exhaled sparks from his nose as he turned into a truly massive pure black Clydesdale.
“Mya here,” A tired voice came through the crystal.
“D here.” Trust her to be the one to not say her name even on these things still.
“Valter and I are heading to a dungeon. Some trainees trying to show they’re all that and stepped into the shit.”
Mirradon reached him as he reached the hut holding their riding gear.
“You need help?” Mya perked up.
Petor threw on his blanket then saddle, tightening up all the straps. She was a joy to work with, not pushing out her belly and working with him. Orange fleck with yellow. “It shouldn’t be too hard, we’re not looking to clear the dungeon, just save the idiots. How long would it take you to get to the gates nearest Desari’s?”
“Twenty minutes,” Mya said.
“Half hour here,” Desari said.
“No worries, times of the essence. The faster we get there, the better. Its Orange flecked with yellow.”
“Understood,” Mya said, a lot of the tension draining from her voice.
“I’ll wrap up things here, tell me when you’re done or you need help,” Desari said.
“Will do. Chat later.”
“Good girl,” Petor gave Mirradon an apple that she happily munched on.
He took out Valter’s saddle and threw it on Ignus’ back, it fit perfectly to his grooved out back, the straps holding it in place easily.
Petor held out an apple and a piece of coal. Ignus lapped up the coal and chewed on it with as much relish as Mirradon had done with the apple.
He chuckled and started putting on his own armor, greaves, bracers, then he put on his scarf-hood with his breastplate going on overtop.
He took out his helmet and attached it to Mirradon’s side. He pulled out his spear, checked and stored it again.
He wrapped his belt around his hips, checking pouches of stone and plant, ready to be loosed his sling loaded with Storm Vine.
Vials of potions took up the rest of his belt, and a small knife.
He got his foot into Mirradon’s stirrup and threw himself up and onto her saddle. He made a clicking noise, getting her into motion, Ignus followed behind as they cantered out to the main path.
“Get healers ready at the gate, only have them move out if they have a guard detail with them,” Valter said. He’d got his armor on his legs and arms, his new gauntlets fitting with the older armor perfectly.
“Yes sir!” The messenger turned and ran off.
Valter pushed the gates open, Petor moved past to the street, checking it. Ignus met Valter, the large man grabbed onto the saddle and stuck his foot in, his remaining armor shot out of his storage devices, locking into place with the rest of his armor, his helmet the last thing to close as his runes flared with molten red.
Ignus pawed the ground, raising sparks from his hooves.
Valter’s new gauntlets seemed to swell with his power. Slight molten veins, the same color as Valter’s channels when he was pushing a truly massive amount of mana through them, traced through them.
Valter clicked his tongue Ignus moved forward, Valter guided him with his reins.
The gate closed behind him.
“We’ll have to move fast. The Trainees were going to the dungeon to show that they’re already capable of defeating it. Was supposed to be one of their last tasks.” Valter clicked his tongue again and Ignus increased his pace.
Petor clicked his tongue, Mirradon increasing her pace as they quickly got up to a gallop and truly started to stretch out their legs and frames.
“It’s an orange flecked yellow. There are puzzle doors that keep changing and require several people skilled in fire magics to manipulate. Its big and there are a lot of really hot areas where people will get worn down quickly. We wanted them to work together with their groups, use those skilled in different magics to reduce the strain on the overall group. Create their own food and water supplies to keep going. It was supposed to take a week to complete.”
“How far is it?” Petor asked.
“Just an hour’s ride out of the city,” Valter sped up, weaving between carts, people yelling out, Petor flowed behind him, paying them no attention, Mirradon and Ignus took a corner, their horseshoes sending up sprays of sparks as someone screamed in worry.
“Potions of heat resistance?” Petor asked.
“Good call, and I was going to give you these later.” Valter threw out a pouch. Petor caught it and looked inside, metal oblongs with runes.
“While I was making Mya’s armor I thought it would be good to make you some more too. These ones are the base versions. Those are cold shot. When they hit they discharge all of the mana in them, freezing the area they strike.”
“Thanks, they’ll do nicely.” Petor took off his pouch of stones and stored them, adding the new pouch in their place.
“Here!” Valter threw another pouch over. “These ones will condense water in the area they hit too.”
Petor tied them to his belt as well. “Got anymore?”
“I was thinking about doing the hot shot and those, but you have the plant versions for those already and they’re stronger especially with how you can manipulate them,” Valter rose up in his stirrups as they closed with the gate.
“Make a hole!” His voice boomed through the street. Those at the gate shifted, the familiar voice and tone getting them to react quickly.
People were pulled out of the way as they thundered through the gate and out of Ilus.
“Certainly got them moving quick like,” Petor said as they rode onwards, past people lining up to enter the city.
“We hold classes throughout the day to train up the people that are already serving. They’ve got used to me being around,” Valter said.
Petor settled into the ride, feeling Mirradon and Ignus’ excitement at being able to stretch their legs and run.