386 days until the Arkon Shield falls

I didn’t follow Jolin immediately.

First, I stopped by the body of the murluk chieftain and studied its gory remains. Anatomically, the chieftain was identical to his smaller kin but with everything built to a larger scale. A much larger scale.

How did he get so big? I wondered. Perhaps I can find out.

Unsheathing my knife, I dissected the murluk. After a few minutes of cutting, the Trials rewarded my efforts.

You have uncovered a murluk chieftain’s Technique: water breathing. Your skill in anatomy has advanced to: level 5.

You have uncovered a murluk chieftain’s Feat: Physical Augmentation, rank 3. Your skill in anatomy has advanced to: level 6.

You have the discovered a: champion core. The special properties of this item are: unknown. Your lore skill is insufficient.

I pocketed the core and considered the Trials feedback. Hmm… Physical Augmentation.

I walked over to a corpse of a murluk overseer and repeated my examination.

You have uncovered a murluk overseer’s Feat: Physical Augmentation, rank 1. Your skill in anatomy has advanced to: level 7.

Physical Augmentation, again. The Trials seemed able to enlarge the size of creatures. I had a sudden vision of becoming a twenty-foot-tall human.

Wouldn’t that be a sight, I thought with a chuckle.

I pulled out the champion core and examined it anew. It was the second core I had acquired, and even at a lore of twenty I still wasn’t able to divine its properties. How high did my lore have to be to identify the cores?

Remembering that I still didn’t know what metal the murluks carried, I picked up one of their discarded spears and examined it anew.

You have acquired a crudely fashioned murluk spear. The spearhead of this weapon is made from aquaine and will not rust.

You are the first human to identify the metal: aquaine. For this achievement, you have been awarded: lore.

Lore: Aquaine is a rare metal alloy formed after centuries of submersion in fresh water. It is usually found only in the deepest rivers and lakes.

The metal’s properties were somewhat disappointing. Oh well, at least I’ll never have to worry about my knife rusting. I paused as another thought occurred.

Were Marcus and I wrong about the mountains holding the closest source of metal? I glanced at the river. Was there metal to be found it? And if so, how could we get to it? I pursed my lips. I must tell Marcus.

Done with my examination of the murluks, I strode up the riverbank.

✽✽✽

I studied the shattered timbers of the palisade with an unhappy expression. Nothing salvageable remained of the section that had been destroyed by ice. The logs were reduced to woodchips.

The adjacent section of the wall—the one I had been flung into repeatedly—looked to be in a much better state. While many of the logs there had been uprooted, they appeared repairable.

I walked over to where Soren and his builders were animatedly discussing how to patch the damage. The head builder looked up at my approach. “Mage Jamie, nice work putting that big bugger down.”

“Just doing my bit,” I replied.

He grunted. “What can I do for you?”

“Actually, I am here to help. Is there anything I can aid you with? The palisade must be completed today. Are we on track?”

“What is it with you people and blasted progress reports?” Soren said, directing a fierce scowl at me. “Maybe if everyone just left me and my team well enough alone, the work would get done faster!”

I sympathised with the man, but I still needed to know. Smiling politely, I waited.

“How can I help?”

He looked at me doubtfully. “Unless you have any masonry or carpentry skills, I don’t think—”

“I will fetch or carry if necessary,” I said, interrupting him. “Anything you need done.”

“Thank you for the offer, but we have more than ample men for that. Besides, I am sure you have important things to do—”

He broke off as one of his men leaned into him and whispered something. He looked at the man in surprise. “That’s a great idea, Dale.” Soren turned back to me, “Actually, Jamie, there is something you can help with.”

I waited for him to go on.

“What we need is to work faster, and to do that we need nails.”

“Nails,” I repeated, not following him.

“Nails,” he nodded. “What with metal being scarce, we’ve been fastening the logs together with rope.” He gestured to the riverbank, which was scattered with abandoned murluk spears. “But if you could help the smiths create some nails… securing the logs in place will be much faster.”

“Ah,” I said, understanding at last. “I’ll get right on it.”

✽✽✽

I drafted a squad of spearmen loitering nearby and set them to gathering and hauling the murluk spearheads to the crafting yard.

Then I went in search of Anton.

Unsurprisingly, I found him tinkering near his forge and repairing damaged tools on his new anvil. “Good morning, Anton,” I shouted above the sound of his hammering.

“Jamie!” he exclaimed, looking up in surprise. “How are you doing?” He frowned as he saw the two spearmen behind me with the first load of gathered spears. “And what do you need?”

“I’m here on Soren’s behalf actually. He needs nails.”

Anton understood at once. “For the palisade?”

“Yep,” I replied with a glance at the forge. “Have you had any luck getting that to work yet?”

Anton grimaced. “Not when it comes to melting the murluks’ damnable metal. I suspect I will have to line the interior with a thin sheet of metal to better retain the heat.” He eyed the spearheads the two soldiers hauled.

Sensing the direction of the smith’s thoughts, I headed him off. “We can do that later. Right now, we need to be making nails.”

“Alrighty,” said Anton with a sigh. “Let’s get to work.”

✽✽✽

We kept at it for hours.

Making nails was much harder than it sounded. Each nail had to be individually hammered and beaten into shape, and the builders needed hundreds of them.

At first we couldn’t make them fast enough, and Soren’s apprentices were kept waiting for the next batch. But eventually Anton and I fell into a rhythm and got ahead of the curve, growing our stockpile of nails faster than the builders could use them.

Just after lunch—which we both missed—Anton set down his hammer. “I think we have enough now.”

I blinked, jarred out of my almost-trance by the sudden silence. “What?” I asked loudly, extinguishing the ribbon of dragonfire extending from my finger.

The nail-forging had improved my control over my dragonfire further. For the last hour I had been able to taper its flow to the most minute of flames, focusing restrained flare’s heat with near-pinpoint accuracy and dramatically reducing my use of mana and lifeblood.

And while I had not unlocked any new spells, I felt on the cusp of a new discovery.

“We’re done, lad,” Anton repeated, gesturing to the neat stacks of unclaimed nails on his desk.

“Oh,” I said, straightening up from the melting pot. I glanced between the respectable pile of spearhead still waiting to be melted down and Anton’s smiling face. Despite our somewhat rocky beginning, the bluff man and I had worked well together. I would miss him. “Anton, let’s finish the forge lining while we still about it.”

“Nah, you’re near falling over, boy. It can be done tomorrow.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow, Anton,” I said quietly.

The smith looked taken aback. “When will you be back?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Might not be for a long while.”

Anton fell silent. “Alright, then, let’s do it,” he said eventually.

Lining the forge with sheets of metal went faster than making the nails. When we were done, and I had confirmed the upgraded forge worked to Anton’s expectations, I said my goodbyes and left the smith happily tinkering with his new toy.

Where to next? I wondered. The temple first, I decided. Then it would be on to find Soren and see how he was progressing.

As I was leaving the crafting yard, I spotted Melissa and Albert. I was surprised but pleased to see Albert back at the camp already. It meant Tara was back as well and we could finally have the talk I’d kept meaning to have with her.

I made a beeline for the pair. “Albert,” I greeted. “Back already from the woods? No problems, I hope?”

The head logger nodded in response. “All’s fine,” he assured me. “We’ve brought back enough logs to satisfy even Soren!”

I smiled. “Do you know where Tara is?”

Albert’s face fell. “She had to move out with her company again. The scouts spotted a band of ogres in the southern plains. The commander didn’t want to risk another assault on the Outpost just yet, so she sent Tara and her people to watch the monsters and, if necessary, dissuade them from moving north.”

Damn it, I thought. I had missed her again. “Oh, alright.” I turned to Melissa. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you yet for the clothes and armour your crafters made. It all fits perfectly.”

“You’re welcome, Jamie.”

“I hate to impose, but I have another favour to ask.”

“Of course, what do you need?”

“Four backpacks, food, and supplies,” I said, thinking of the people who might be convinced to go with me. “I’m leaving in the morning,” I added. “I’ll be back, but not for a while.”

Melissa nodded slowly. “Alright, Jamie, I’ll have the packs filled and delivered to your tent tonight.”

“Thank you, Melissa,” I replied, turning to go.

“Jamie,” called Albert, stopping me. “I’ve gotten more of those saplings you asked for.”

I was about to deny needing them anymore, when it occurred to me that I might still have a use for at least one. “Thanks, Albert. Will you send them over to my tent as well please?”

“Will do.”

Saying my farewells to the pair, I made my way to the dragon temple.

✽✽✽

The area around the temple was in chaos.

There were thousands of people filling the space, most sporting burns or an injury of one form or another. These are the refuges from Earth, I thought. The ones who had managed to escape the dying planet’s final moments.

With a start of guilt, I realised that in the chaos of the battle and its aftermath, I had forgotten all about them.

The refugees, who were still dressed in their basic new-fish outfit, sat on the ground and huddled together for comfort. Many of the adults’ eyes were glazed over. Others moaned in pain. All looked bereft and lost. Only the children appeared unaffected, laughing, screaming, or running about with abandon.

The Outpost’s medics—harassed and overworked—moved between the refugees and provided what comfort they could. I should have been here, I thought. These people needed help.

“Don’t feel bad,” Nicholas said, seeing my distraught expression as he approached. “There was not much difference you or anyone else could have made here.” He shook his head sadly. “Even if we healed all their physical ailments, there are other scars we can’t mend. For that they’ll need of weeks of therapy, and even then…”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Earth died,” said Nicholas simply. “These are the lucky ones who managed to squeeze through the gate before our planet was swallowed from within. It has not left them unmarked though.” He sighed. “Billions must have died back home.”

I swallowed, imagining what those final moments must have been like.

Nicholas pointed out a large tent that seemed to have been hastily erected next to the dragon temple. “Come, walk with me. I was just about to go and check on our patients in the healing tents.” He began walking towards the tent and I fell in step besides him.

“Your apprentice is in there,” he continued.

I stopped short and stared at him blankly.

“Lance, I mean. You did send him, didn’t you?” Nicholas asked.

I had, but I’d forgotten. “He hasn’t been too much trouble, I hope?”

“Not at all! He has been splendid. He has saved so many, I can’t even begin to thank him.”

I scratched my head and wondered if we were talking about the same Lance.

“It must be nice having magic,” Nicholas added wistfully.

Sometimes, Nicholas, but it is not without its burdens too, I thought. I remained silent, though, as we ducked inside the healer’s tent.

I wasn’t sure if he would understand.

✽✽✽

The inside of the tent was not as bad as I’d expected.

I had braced myself for the worst, but was relieved to see most of the patients were alive and resting on the pallets spread out on the floor.

“You must eat, Lance,” John was saying as we neared the trio. “You cannot go on without rest.”

“No time,” Lance mumbled in protest. “I have to keep going…”

I studied the mage’s visage, shocked by the changes in him. The callow youth had disappeared. Lance was covered in grime, his eyes were sunken, and new lines seamed his face. What happened to him?

“Marcus, John, is everything alright?” I asked.

Marcus looked up and nodded in greeting. “Our mage here thinks he is indestructible,” he said, gesturing at Lance, who was trying to rise despite John’s restraining hand. “He won’t rest.”

Lance looked at me, his eyes burning with a disturbing fervour. “Dude, you understand, don’t you?” he asked. “I have to help them.”

I glanced at Marcus and John. Both shook their heads. “Not right now you don’t, Lance,” I said. “Eat first. Rest. Or you will be no good to anyone.”

“But—”

“No buts. Listen to John as we agreed,” I added, keeping my voice stern.

“Alright, man, if you think it best…” Lance said feebly.

“I do,” I said. Gesturing for Marcus to follow me, I walked away from the mage.

“What happened to him?” I asked Marcus in a low voice. “That’s not the same boy I met this morning.”

Marcus looked equally bewildered. “I’m not sure,” he said. “I hadn’t even realised he and John were here until about two hours ago when I found them wandering amongst the injured.”

“It was that murdering bunch of idiots,” Nicholas said, walking up to join us from behind. I turned his way and waited for him to go on. “They were the ones responsible for young Lance’s epiphany. I’m not sure what happened at the palisade, but Lance was already shaken when he got here. Then he saw those ‘gamers’ at work.” Nicholas spat. “He was horrified.”

Marcus grimaced and I looked at him questioningly.

“A group of gamers came through earlier,” Marcus explained. “But not the friendly kind. These were from a clan of PKers.” As an aside to Nicholas, he added, “Player killers. They’re players who hunt down other players in games.”

Nicholas looked disgusted, but remained silent.

“From what I could gather, this bunch seemed to think Overworld was a game,” continued Marcus. “I don’t know what they were high on, but nothing got through to them. They went on a killing spree and mowed down everything in their path.” He fell silent for a moment. “Children too.”

My own lips curled in disgust.

Marcus’ face hardened. “Anyway, my men and I put an end to that. And them.”

“I think Lance saw himself reflected in those killers,” Nicholas said. “It changed him.”

I sighed. It seemed there was no limit to human stupidity. But people can surprise you for the better too, I thought, thinking of Lance. “Do you think he will be alright?” I asked Nicholas.

The medic pursed his lips. “Eventually. Right now, I think being useful is what he needs.”

I nodded, accepting Nicholas’ judgement. “We’ll leave him in your hands, then. Will you ask John to bring Lance to see me when they are done here? I have something to speak to him about.”

Before Nicholas could reply, a messenger slipped into the tent. “Captain Marcus, the commander wants to see you,” he said. Seeing me, the messenger’s brows lifted in surprise. “I was about to come find you next, Mage Jamie. She wants you as well.”

My brows drew down in concern. “Is something the matter?”

The messenger smiled. “No, the palisade is nearly complete. The commander wants both of you there when the final piece is put in place.”