PRODUCTION AND DISCOVERY

The next day a tired and visibly fatigued Griz and Kim both left the village. Under heavy guard the caravan headed to Karst and eventually to its stop in Haven.

After waking and discussing all night they had agreed on a suitable plan. The wooden cogs and complete well water package were to be made by Chu in the village. These would be quality tested at the farm and stored in a large shed.

By the time this was happening, Kim would be getting a few apprentices familiar with new trading routes. Griz would also be busy at this time having his smiths make the iron cogs for another invention; a demonstration model of the drawbridge and raised gate.

To protect their invention, the final assembly would be done at the farm. They had unanimously agreed to help fund a smithy for Chu. Hopefully by summer Dareck would have his own smithy far from prying eyes.

Griz used his rank as the Trading Post master to commission the village smithy until summer. After that all work would be moved to the farm.

Spring started with the residents of the farm moving out in full force.

Thomas fetched the men from the village house to aid in harvesting lumber from the forest. The wood they stockpiled for use in making cogs and building a smithy with an attached workshop.

Although the weather was still cold, Jim showed his skills in setting snares and traps around the lumber field. The traps worked on smaller predators but larger ones like a wolf could eventually break free given time.

It explained why trappers had a hard time in the forest catching animals.

With guards like Miki and Lucy around however, the traps were more than adequate. Once the animals were trapped, it became an easy task to pick them off using their crossbow skills.

Doug and his group had been tasked to help Clod in building the framework for the workshop. The walls were finally finished during winter. Even though the ground was still hard from the cold, Clod pushed this work first.

Once the land was ready he would have no choice but to concentrate the majority of labor to the fields. With the influx of new help, work progressed smoothly.

Chu was expecting the new workers from the village to complain, but instead they gritted their teeth to prove their worth. Being provided piping hot meals daily, along with hot water waiting in the evening for a bath and furthermore a warm bed at night was more than enough incentive.

Also knowing that very soon the boss would construct lodging for their own personal use drove them to finish their task. For older couples like Jim this was a boon from heaven. Out in the farm they could safely live and relax in comfort in return for a few hours work.

"Clod, meet Dareck. He will assist you in designing and building the smithy. Get Doug and the others to help you move the stones and make the bricks for the furnace. Most of the large equipment and tools will be transported as soon as the roads are ready from Karst."

Chu brought Dareck to the farm and had him help Clod line up the construction for the smithy. He then sent him back to the village with a load of raw materials to continue manufacturing.

As soon as the new sleeping quarters and the workshop was ready, Chu was going to settle everyone on the farm. He would alternate the ones staying in the village home between the two old couples.

One thing disturbed him during this time. Ming had restarted his pellet making hobby using heaven knows what from the Trading Post. John all to easily provided him with ingredients whose effects were unknown. Since it kept him out of everyone's hair, Chu allowed him free rein. Of course it was a given that no one should sample his products.

***

Miki inched forward along the passageway. Sometimes it was high and smooth enough to walk upright, other times she had to pick her way and crawl along some jagged outcropping. It was the latter that gave her problems as she held her crossbow in a ready state in front of her.

She wore her scarf wrapped around her neck with her black hair tied into a ponytail. Her appearance was near identical of a young Asian teenager. Life in the farm had turned the once skinny and ribbed body into that of a shapely young girl.

Her days of hunger might have ended but the hard work continued. Of course never did she nor anyone else have an ounce of complaint. In fact she actually relished her current job at the moment.

Mr Thomas moved not to far behind her holding the torch and scribbling markings on the walls ever so often. Behind him Rose walked with a torch in one hand and a wooden cup in the other.

Rose was now a tall and fit teen. She sported her shoulder length brown hair loose but covered under her scarf. Under constant training by Mr Thomas her body did not have an ounce of fat, except in the right places where girls wanted it.

Both her and Miki received training equally from Mr Thomas, one in close range combat the other in long-range attacks. These girls might pass easily as nobility if given the right clothes, unfortunately even that might not be able to mask their callused hands or the little scars from toiling the land.

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Nobody would expect to find these three individuals exploring deep in a cave in the desolate grasslands.

Soon the passageway made its way into a small cavern. Miki gave a hand signal to the others at the back and surveyed the area in front of her using the torch. They cautiously made their way into the cave while keeping guard.

"Safe, I see two more passageways but the one on the left is blocked by a cave-in."

Miki grabbed the torch and scrutinized all around. They had learned from their mistakes twice before during theses cave explorations. One time Miki was bitten by a black scorpion and only survived because they happen to walk with an antidote potion.

Another time Rose was bitten by a vampire bat after they disturbed a small nest. No one faulted her at that time though because she heroically stopped to defend the idiot who 'heaven knows how' stumbled and fell on the smoothest passageway.

After those mishaps, Ming was banned from cave exploration and the task handed over to Miki and Rose. Mr Thomas did not have much experience in this kind of activity but still choose to lend moral support.

He acted as the caddy for them, carrying dry rations, water, torches, ropes and antidotes. Chu supplied them with whatever they needed for this venture.

"Give me a moment. I need to finish this before I forget."

Rose stuck her torch to the side and fished out a parchment from her leather pouch. She took her time in the dim lighting to draw a line and scribble some numbers on the side. Satisfied with her work she soon indicated she was ready.

Miki resumed the lead with the others behind her. This time however she did not have to venture very far along the passageway to meet up another cave. In just a few steps she entered a huge cavern that made her think she somehow exited the caves into the grasslands.

Mr Thomas brought up the torch behind her but the light nearly lost its effectiveness in the expansive darkness. It was enough though, for her to see a sight that produced a corresponding reaction.

'Blearggh!'

She emptied out her stomach.

***

Chu did not treat the cave exploration as a side matter. It was very important for their development in many ways.

Firstly, all members who regarded themselves as fighters had to participate. It was to give them a chance for first hand experience in this type of environment. He chose Miki and Rose to groom as specialists in this area. The others joined them whenever they had the time.

Secondly, the caves offered them the chance to fight other types of creatures. This broke the trend of having to keep fighting the same foes and becoming complacent. He had personally faced scorpions, bats and a large snake long as an anaconda.

Things that would have made him scream and run, or stand rooted to the ground in shock ceased to affect him. He surmised that it had the same effect on the rest of his companions.

Thirdly, he might be lucky in finding something of use during these explorations. If they found nothing the caves could serve as a solid foundation for a second defensive base. Presently at the moment all they collected was an assortments of bites, stings and scares to last a lifetime.

He was busy drafting out some plans for the company when the explorers returned.

"Chu you will not believe what we found. Ah, so disgusting!"

Miki sat down near the table and began talking.

The girls had changed out from their equipment and had a hot shower and meal courtesy of the kitchen staff. They were now dressed in some light but thick indoor clothes to help ward of the cold.

Rose grabbed a large parchment and rolled it open on the side of the desk. She then started copying and drawing from the paper she had in the cave. She had a makeshift ruler and the small cup she previously carried in the cave.

Chu graduated the ruler in 'feet' while the cup contained a floating compass he constructed. The ends of the cup he marked out in the respective sixteen cardinal points. Using these crude equipment the cave layout sprung to life.

Rose job was simple but very crucial, she recorded the footsteps and the direction she walked in the caves. The map on the desk was the result of her hard work.

"I think the cave exploration is done, this last cave is the end."

Rose said while looking at the map.

The caves and passageways meandered around in a circular fashion ending with the cavern in the center. They had discovered one more entrance similar to the one they used.

Since the caves did not have a stale smell, Chu figured they had a good form of aeration. They never had problems with the smoke from the torches during their explorations.

"Hey Chu, you listening to me? Guess what we found?"

Miki gave him a quick shake on the side.

"Another nest of bats?"

"Nope even worse, we found a nest of barrel worms."

"Eh?"

Mr Thomas happened to come up at the same time. Knowing the boy he began an explanation before being asked.

"Barrel Worms are frequently found in those wet caves like this one in the grasslands. I have never encountered them before this but they live up to their name. They feed on the rocks and are just like maggots, pale white. The only difference lies in their name. They are as round and long as a barrel."

They had already taken care of the majority of pest and dangers in the cave labyrinth. Only these worms remained as an obstacle to securing a hidden refuge.

"Are they easy to kill?"

"They are not hard to get rid of. We did not fight them today, but from the tavern talks they don't have any means of fighting back. I remember that the only thing they have as a defense is a layer of slime making it hard to land a penetrating blow."

Mr Thomas replied.

Chu thought for a second and moved over to browse over Rose's map.

"Tomorrow most of the work will be in the forest. Clod wants to finish up the work to begin planting next week. I think I will go with you guys, I have never seen nor fought something like this."

Chu talked as he traced the map, he estimated the cave system to be about a mile long if he included the dead-end passages. Once they cleared out these foes, he would have an entire hidden realm of his own.

By turning the cave network into an underground fortress, he could always have a place of retreat.

The overall discovery made him boil in anticipation.