81 - 85

Chapter 81: Willpower A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 81

"He looks like he is having a good dream," a familiar voice broke my light sleep.

"I was till you came in my room without knocking," I grumbled and opened my eyes to see Konstantin standing over my bed, his young servant at his side. He tossed some clothes at me, and they landed heavily on my stomach.

"Put those on. We will go and explore in commoner garb. Your fancy clothes will bring too much attention to us," Komstantin advised. He addressed his servant, who had a pained look I know is all too familiar. "You can go. I will return to my room in a few hours."

"I didn't have any other clothes," I said while rolling out of bed with the bundle of clothes in my hands.

"While you have been napping, Eryk, I have walked this Citadel. It is one of the oldest I have ever seen. Dozens of additions over the centuries. It was probably a capital of some relic Empire before the First Legion," Konstantin sounded a little excited. He then looked me seriously in the eye, "You should always familiarize yourself with your environment before you rest. What if the place burned down? Where should you go?"

"A fire escape plan? But isn't this entire building stone? Seems unlikely," I commented while changing.

"The First Emperor was killed when an entire wing of the palace was turned into molten rock by a massive ritual, Eryk," Konstantin said while walking through my room,doing an inspection. He even ducked into the large fireplace, expecting there might be something hidden up there. When he came out, he had a black soot mark on his cheek and forehead. I just hoped he didn't use the mirror and walked around with it. He went to the massive window and looked out in the gardens. The sun was setting, and I realized we might be caught in the woods tonight.

"What are we looking for on our trip around the area? Is this like the time you made me walk around the city of Macha?" I asked, pulling on my boots.

"Exactly!" He had seen his reflection in the window and was rubbing the soot out; so much for embarrassing him. "As a scout for the company, our job is to know the best ways to retreat from danger. This place," he spun, indicating the Citadel, "is a trophy castle. It looks beautiful, but," he tapped the glass behind him, "is terribly indefensible. I would bet a large gold that each addition to this palace added a few secret passages." So that was what Konstantin had been looking for in the fireplace, a secret passage.

Konstantin walked to the door, and I followed him. We took a narrow stair at the end of the hallway. A servant stair brought us to a storage room outside the kitchen. Some cooks looked mildly interested as we passed through their work area. Konstantin grabbed a loaf of bread, and I did likewise, as it was warm. When we were out of sight, my bread went to my storage for a later snack.

We exited into a courtyard, and Konstantin moved quickly to the wall. Far across this back courtyard were the stables—horses mixed with milk cows and, I think, a few goats. I did not have time to determine if the Duchess maintained any heavy horses for a cavalry. With only two hundred soldiers under her command, it seemed unlikely. At the wall was a passage guarded by two men in the Duchess's dark green livery. One was young, a teenager with greasy black hair, and the other was much older, with almost completely white hair and a pot belly. They did not stop us as we exited through the passage they guarded in the wall.

On the other side were two more of the duchess' guards, both middle-aged men. One yawned as we passed, and the other looked us up and down before looking out into the city. As we entered the streets, Konstantin asked, "Impressions?"

I had been waiting for his question, "They do not bathe regularly." Konstantin gave a sour expression at my joke. "Fine, the guards on the outer wall were the more competent. Or at least look more competent. The inner wall was a lazy veteran and a new recruit. No one questioned us or asked about our business. We could be assassins leaving after a mission and getting away freely."

"Good. I knew you were not a lost cause. What was the dominant hand of the old guard?" Konstantin asked.

I searched my memory. He had a spear, and his short sword was on his right hip, "Left-handed, his blade was on his right." I said after thinking for two steps on the road.

"Excellent," Konstantin smiled brightly. It looked wrong on his face. "But you should have also noted the boy was right-handed, and they should have been on opposite sides of the passage." I wanted to chirp that he had not asked me that question, but I held my tongue and nodded.

We moved among the wooden structures, "Now we are going to walk through town and see how well they are patrolling the streets. Crime is rampant in the city, cutting the Duchess' taxes."

We walked the streets and found patrols taking food from vendors without paying. Responding slowly to requests for help. Taking long breaks in alleys—sometimes napping. A few guards were even in incomplete uniforms. When it was completely dark, Konstantin had me follow him outside the city to circle the Citadel's walls.

I asked, "It would only take a hundred trained men to take this city. Why has it not happened?"

Konstantin looked behind us, "It is on a main road in the center of the Empire. There are probably companies of regulars that pass through weekly. Also, if the city was threatened, the Emperor would send a dozen mage companies and two thousand regulars through a portal in a nearby city. It would only take half a day for them to arrive. The Duchess, however, is responsible for keeping her city in order and has not been doing a great job."

The blue moon seemed larger tonight, and I looked up at it and quickly looked away before Konstantin could berate me for ruining my night vision. We moved through the woods, and Konstantin stopped constantly to examine plants on the ground. After the twentieth time, I asked, "What are we looking for?"

"Common alchemy ingredients for healing ointments and simple healing potions," Konstantin informed me while kneeling on the ground.

"You are an alchemist!?" I exclaimed, extremely surprised.

"Gods, mercy, no. I would never have the patience to spend an entire day purifying ingredients, combining them in exact proportions, and then activating them with a touch of aether. However, I do know the basic ingredients, and Delmar asked me to look. When it is light out, I will show you them and how to harvest them. We need to make more use of your dimensional space. Most ingredients need to be fresh, so you are an asset for that." Konstantin studied some red-brown grass before getting up.

"So everything an alchemist needs will be out here?" I looked into the graying woods.

"Maybe for the healing ointment. It only needs a base and two aetheric binding agents that are common. The simple healing potion requires honey from specific flowers that giant bees harvest. That will have to be imported from the south. Finding a trader should not be difficult."

We circled wide into the woods, and Konstantin found numerous well-trodden paths in the blue-lit woods. He did not want to use the glow stones because the moon was bright enough. He guessed the paths were from hunters from the city or woodsmen living in the wilds bringing their game in for sale in the city. I made sure to relieve myself in the woods so Lareen would not have to clean the chamber pot.

Even with looking down all the time, Konstantin still pointed out numerous animals as we moved. We returned to the city and the Citadel well past midnight. The two guards outside the passage entry halted us. Konstantin patiently explained who we were and our purpose outside the gate. One of the inner passageway guards was summoned and ran to confirm with their captain. At least this seemed more secure.

The runner returned, and we were allowed in. I could tell Konstantin was not happy the captain did not come to see for himself. At the kitchen entrance, Konstantin turned to a hallway on the first floor and left me without a word. Was this another test? I was heading to my apartment and getting some sleep. He could report our findings on his own. Besides, he had done very little talking after we left the city.

The stairs were dark, so I used my glowstone and found the correct door to my room shortly after. I opened the door and found a small fire in the massive fireplace. On the massive bed were all my clothes, cleaned and dry. My armor was neatly placed on the floor, with my pack at the foot of the bed. I kicked off my clothes, stripping to just my my trousers, and fell into the bed face down, pulling my griffin pillow to me.

The sound of a door click had me roll over. I was expecting it was Konstantin coming to say I did something wrong. It was Lareen coming out of her small room. I pulled the glowstone to see her, and she had on just a long shirt—a nightgown. She spoke, "Your clothes are clean." She walked forward to point at the arrangement on the bed. Her oversized green dress gone, I could see her more clearly.

She had her light brown hair down and looked more attractive than I had expected. It was hard to tell someone's age because everyone was so much shorter than I was accustomed to. Lareen was barely five foot three. I planned to follow Castile's orders anyway and shook my head, clearing my impure thoughts.

"Thank you, I would like to get some sleep," I muttered and rolled over. I was sure if Konstantin was here, he would yell at me for turning my back to a potential assailant.

Her soft voice came back, "Do you need anything to drink or eat, Eryk?"

I rolled back over to look at her. She had taken a step forward. "I am fine; just wake me for breakfast." I waited, and she stood there and didn't move. She looked expectantly at me. I came up with a dozen excuses to ignore her, the chief being I did not want to anger Castile. "Anything else?" I asked, ready to reject her.

She bit her lower lip, "Did you clean the tub? I mean, I know you did, but why?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I took the bath, so it made sense that I was the one to clean up," I immediately regretted saying that, as I did not want to have to clean up after myself. I added, "I am not used to having a servant. I will make sure to leave my mess behind from now on so you have something to do." She smiled a little at my remarks.

"Well, you only did an adequate job anyway. I had to clean it again," she said, grinning and taking another step toward the bed. Her features became clearer, and her nearness roused me.

I did not want to show her my body was betraying me, so I said, "Thank you. Sleep well tonight, and wake me for breakfast." I rolled away from her and had to wait five minutes before I heard her door shut. If she had pressed further, I might have caved like a sand castle to a wave. It seemed inevitable if she was going to be persistent every night, and we were staying here for months.

I needed to focus on something else. I pulled out my amulet and wore it. I needed some sleep, but I think I was close to my spell form. I entered the dreamscape and was immediately greeted by an excited Oscar. I should come here just for puppy therapy. The chair was still present, and I relaxed with the spell-form book and started studying.

About four hours later, I felt it lock into place. I rushed out of the dungeon entrance, exiting the dreamscape, to go and try out my new spell form.

Chapter 82: A Walk in the Woods A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 82

My room was still dark and quiet when I opened my eyes, and I brought out my glow stone. I quietly moved into the bathing room and barred the door. A strong, lemony scent was hanging in the room from Lareen's cleaning. Was the Empire aware of disinfectants? With magic, they probably knew about bacteria, maybe even viruses. I took out two more glowstones for added light.

I held out my hand and searched for the new spell form on my aether core. It took a moment, and I found it and pushed aether through it. A low pop sound, like someone clicking their tongue with their mouth closed, rang softly in the room. A disc of blurry blue air appeared in front of me. I guess Castile was wrong about it being invisible. The disc was a yard across and a hand width in thickness. That was all the measurements I could take before the disc of compressed air vanished without a sound.

I created the next disc and oriented it parallel to the ground. I counted this time and waited. It was roughly twelve seconds before whatever held the disc together lost cohesion. I tested this twice more and rotated the disc each time as I pushed aether through the spell form. The time the disc remained the same size each time. I was casting the disc through my hand and could place it in any orientation from my hand with a thought. I could not change the disc shape at all, though.

I then tried casting two discs at once. There were no issues, as it was anchored and independent once the disc was cast. One thing I could not do was dismiss the disc after it was cast. I had to wait for it to expire. In my estimation, each disc was taking a little over a unit of aether to cast, draining my small aether pool, but I needed to figure out the utility of the compressed air barrier.

I pulled out a short sword and attacked the disc. Hitting the disc was like striking dense rubber. The sword stopped and rebounded very slightly. It took three full-force swings to break the disc before the twelve seconds expired. With less enthusiastic swings, it took five or even six hacks to break the disc.

Next, I tried a spear. I took a running start with a spear and tried to pierce it. The disc held, and I was impressed. The tip had stopped abruptly, and it was a little jarring, and I had to heal a sprain to my wrist. Two rushing attacks using my body weight did manage to break the spell form, as my second attack was only slowed momentarily. All my experiments had drained my aether, so I sat and waited, thinking of other tests I could do.

My next test was for an arrow. The arrow actually stuck into the wind barrier, looking like it was suspended in the air. I fired four more arrows quickly before the time elapsed, and the fifth broke the disc, and they all clattered to the floor. The disc could take a certain amount of disruption before failing.

I waited again for enough aether to cast a disc a foot off the ground. Then I stepped up onto it. It held my weight and lasted the entire twelve seconds. This would look amazing if someone did not know I was using magic. After another long wait, I tried to cast the disc from my foot instead of my hand. It was disorienting, like trying to write words upside down, but it worked. I had been worried about wearing boots, but the disc still manifested. I assumed it meant I could wear gloves as well and still create the wind barrier.

This spell form had a lot of utility, and although it was not quite as Castile had advertised, I was quite happy with my choice. I opened the bathroom door to find Lareen standing there in her nightgown. I was only wearing my trousers and boots. There was an awkward pause that I filled, "I was doing my morning training." I had been grunting and making a fair amount of noise in the bathroom. Her eyes narrowed slightly in skepticism, but she nodded and went about her duties, checking the latrine first, which was empty. I still had an aversion to someone cleaning up my shit for me.

"Breakfast will be in one hour," she announced. "If you will allow me, I wish to change for the day."

"Dismissed," I said uncertainly, and she nodded and left. I dressed myself as well. I was eager to tell Castile of my success with the spell form. Lareen came out in the same bulky dark green dress, hiding her figure. I followed her to the dining room. About half the company was already here trying to eat as much as possible. I took the same seat I held at dinner last night and found Lareen bringing me a glass and a plate of food.

The plate had a portion of oatmeal blended with chunks of dried fruit and nuts. The rest of the plate had something like French toast with no sweetness to it. Just eggs soaked into bread and then baked down the table, according to Kolm, explaining the crunchy bread.

My glass was a very weak ale, probably watered down. Lareen asked me three times if there was anything else I wanted from the kitchen. I asked for bacon but just got fried ham steaks. Maybe they did not cure and smoke bacon. I did not know the process, but it could not be too difficult.

Castile, Delmar, and Adrian arrived as I was eating my third ham steak. The Duchess was not at breakfast. Castile sat beside me, and I leaned into her, "I imprinted the spell form last night." Castile nodded but did not show the excitement I had expected or the praise I was hoping for. I retreated back to my plate and ate the rest of my ham steak. It was not long before the entire company was eating.

The Duchess did not show up to breakfast, and Adrian and Delmar had their own private conversation across the table. Castile ate the oatmeal and cut up some apples for her breakfast, ignoring the egg-baked bread. Adrian spoke to Castile, "I think we are ready." Castile nodded, and Adrian stood. The table went silent as Adrian usually gave assignments.

"Well, it appears the Duchess is spoiling you men. Personal servants, anything you want for breakfast, individual rooms. We can not have you getting soft. We are going to be here for months," cheers broke Adrian's planned speech, and he waited for it to die down. "We have numerous tasks to get completed, including digging and placing eighty miles of markers." Everyone was silent. "We are also going to be training the province soldiers up to our standards," some boos rang down, and Adrian grinned. Legionnaires thought themselves superior to the regular army, city guard, and provincial soldiers.

Adrian waited for everyone to calm down, "Delmar, Brutus, Kolm, Blaze, and I will be staying in the Citadel to work with the soldiers." Boos echoed in the dining room as our two leaders took a job in this castle's comfort. He held up his hand, "Just to teach them discipline how to do their jobs. You will eventually be training them with the spear and, later, the sword so they don't accidentally stab themselves. We will rotate men to supervise the training."

"Konstantin and Eryk are going to scout the lands around the Sobral city for the next two weeks," I audibly groaned. And some men chuckled at my misfortune. Konstantin was wearing a grin. "Castile and Felix will be working with the Duchess." A surprised Felix spit a little of his beer. "Everyone else will start on the markers by the road east of here. Two men from the Duchess and one agent from the Imperial Surveyors will supervise you."

Wylie commented, "Why not just have the plebians dig the holes? We can guard them while they do it."

Castile stood, "We could have them do it and finish in a month. Or we can do the work ourselves and finish in five months."

Benito asked, confusion in his voice, "So, isn't one month better?"

"Idiot!" Firth muttered, understanding the implications. "We get to make use of the Duchess' hospitality for that much longer."

Benito's eyes went wide, "I don't mind digging a few holes if we get to eat like this at every meal." Everyone laughed, but one or two of the others had been thinking the same as Benito.

Adrian finished, "You all will be leaving in an hour. Kolm to me." The men shoveled food into their mouths before leaving. Kolm was called over and sent out on a mission to find a leather worker to replace the missing pieces of armor among the company men. I sipped my ale and stared down the table at Konstantin, who stared back with a grin.

Castile stood and ordered, "Tell Konstantin of your new spell form, Eryk. He will help make it viable in combat." Then she was gone with a perplexed Felix in tow.

Konstantin soon stood over me, saying, "Let us go Eryk and get some camping gear. Make sure your storage space is empty. I will want to fill it with flora for the future alchemist."

I went to my room to pack my backpack with the standard legion gear. Lareen was standing by, waiting to assist, but I did not have anything for her to do. "Will you be gone long?" she asked as I finished.

"As long as Konstantin wants, I guess. I was told two weeks," I told the young servant. She seemed disappointed as I left and met Konstantin in the courtyard. We circled out to the woodlands, and I asked, "Konstantin, is this safe? Just the two of us?"

"We will not go more than five miles from Sobral. Take the opportunity to learn as much as you can and get comfortable in the woodlands on your own. I will teach you to spot the serious dangers that should be avoided," he said confidently.

"And what if we don't avoid them?" I asked skeptically.

"We see which of us is the faster runner," he laughed aloud at his joke. That did not make me feel any better about this training—or the fact Konstantin laughed, he never laughed.

We walked for a time before I revealed my secret, "Castile told me to let you know I have a new spell form."

"Perfect! She told me you were working on something. What is it?" he asked, looking at me as we walked.

I created a barrier directly in front of him and had the satisfaction of him walking into it and falling flat on his ass. I just kept walking, smiling as I heard him scramble quickly to his feet. He spent time inspecting the air shield behind me. I had to slow my steps and wait for him to catch up. I was thinking what horrible things he would do to me, but I decided it had been worth it.

"Well, that is useful! Have you tested it?" Konstantin asked, intrigued and not angry. I nodded, "Well. I am certain I can come up with some things you have not tried yet." I suddenly got the feeling the testing was not going to be pleasant.

The mission was just as Konstantin had said. We were out to get her flora. I was taught how to harvest a number of ingredients. Blood grass needed to be taken out slowly by the root. Blood grass was very common. Mandrake was not as easy. It needed to be dug up and was like a hairy carrot. Borage was a bush with red fruiting berries. The berries were the easiest thing we collected all day. The fresher they were, the more potent they would be for an alchemist.

Draffe was a pink flower and hard to find. Fireleaves was another pink flower that we found. Unfortunately, it was eaten by bugs. Konstantin said it was not used in healing brews but extremely valuable on its own since it was hard to find, and bugs consumed it almost immediately after bloom. One of these small flowering plants was worth almost an entire gold to the right alchemist. Konstantin did not know everything either. I would ask him about a plant here and there, and half the time, his response was, "Don't know. I suggest you don't touch it, or put it in your mouth." It was like he was talking down to me like a child.

I could tell we were zig-zagging as we moved away from Sobral. As we stopped for lunch, I asked, "How long are we going to be out here?"

"Until you fill up your space, Eryk," Konstantin muttered through chewing on a sugar weed. "Castile wants you ready to impress whatever alchemist the Duchess can find. The Duchess was right; any decent alchemist is not going to want to come to this backwater city."

We spent the rest of the day working on developing my herbalism talent. We were focused on seven plants that Konstantin knew could be used for making curatives. He also had us collect a few that he knew were rare but was not certain of their uses. My arms were scratched, and my nails clogged with dirt from the day's work, but the knowledge was rewarding. The box I kept for legion goods in my storage was already more than half full. It would not take long tomorrow to fill it.

The night was setting in, and we had ventured far from the worn paths. Konstantin had us stop, "We will not train tonight. There is no one to guard us. We are going to sleep in that tree," he pointed at an old gnarled tree with a massive dark green canopy.

I was happy when he pulled out a rope and looped it over a branch twenty feet up. "Sleeping in a tree means you can not run, but if you are alone and in a dangerous country, it is the best way to get sleep on the run." We climbed the tree and secured ourselves with rope at ninety degrees to each other on different branches.

Konstantin smirked, "This will be the worst night of rest you have ever gotten. Every time an animal passes underneath us, I want you to tap my shoulder and point it out."

"How am I supposed to get any sleep?" I asked as night was settling.

"You are not," he heaved a chuckle. He was chewing on his ration bar and sprinkling some of the mycoid powder below to mask our scent.

I was a little upset with his training, so I pulled out the loaf of warm bread I had taken from the kitchen yesterday and began eating. Konstantin was immediately aware of the delectable smell, and I chuckled, "You did tell me to empty my dimensional space." I ate the entire loaf slowly and happily. I was certain I would pay for not sharing tomorrow—but it was worth it.

Chapter 83: The Sisters A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 83

I was miserable most of the night. My back ached, and my legs kept falling asleep on the thick branch. The rope also dug into my ribs when I drifted off and did not maintain my balance. The nocturnal animals that passed under us were a constant parade. I pointed them out, raccoon, a pair of foxes, a giant beetle, and four giant weasels. The weasels had Konstantin on edge and had us remain still until they passed well out of sight. Their long, lanky bodies were seven to ten feet long.

After being sure they had passed, he said, "Giant weasels are not to be taken lightly. They must have a den around here and are probably the apex hunters in the area. I am guessing that was two parents and two young ones. If they caught you alone, they would each grab you and tear your body apart." As if prophetic a pitiful cry of an elk or deer could be heard a distance away. It was quickly silenced.

Konstantin listened and waited for a while before continuing in a whisper, "Their coats are extremely valuable to the right buyer, and they generally do not attack humans but are a menace to livestock. Their saliva is also deadly as it prevents blood from clotting." He finished his lecture, and the rest of the night was quiet. Konstantin assumed the weasels' scent trail had scared everything else away.

As the sun rose, we waited till mid-morning before descending, just in case the weasels were late getting back to their den. I was surprised the weasels had unnerved Konstantin. He admitted, "If I was in a group, I would not be so cautious. But alone against those four fast hunters? No, it would not have gone well." He then hedged his own statement, "Now, if it was just two of the critters. I could have handled that." He put on a crafty smile.

We started gathering plants and some mushrooms that sprouted overnight. He pointed out a purple berry, "Winterberry. It's very sweet, and they keep all winter, hence the name. If you want to have some with your breakfast, just make sure you chew them well and spit out the seeds."

I picked a few of the berries, which were hard. I squeezed one too hard, and it burst, covering my hand in a brilliant blue. I tried to wipe it off, but it was like ink and stained my hand. Konstantin looked both amused and disappointed.

"I guess this would have stained my teeth," I noted, weary of Konstantin.

"And your lips," he smiled. "A little payback for the bread and the introduction of your air barrier. They are nutritious but also make a great dye. Oh, do not look so sour, Eryk! The stain fades after a week or so. Or a simple alchemist solvent would work as well."

I grunted, showing my displeasure. We continued on task, but I took careful note of any possible shenanigans from Konstantin. Just before noon, I informed Konstantin, "My dimensional space is full. Should we head back?"

He arched his eyebrow, seemingly surprised, and nodded. As we walked back, he asked me questions about what I learned about my air shield. When I told him everything I had learned, he responded, "I admit that is one of the more impressive spell forms I have heard of, especially for a legionnaire. The fact it is a spell form means it takes you no time to cast it, unlike a true spell. It will serve as a barrier against most mage-ranged spells and infantry weapons. And you can overlap them! If it didn't have such a short duration, you would be unstoppable in combat. Show it to me again."

We paused in our walking, and I set the shield at eye level. Konstantin felt the air and moved slowly around it. "Remarkable. And you can stand on it?"

I cast another one two feet off the ground and hopped up. I jumped up and down like a kid on a bed. There was a very small spring effect. Konstantin asked, "How do you know where to stand?"

"The air is blurry blue. Wait, you don't see it?" I asked, perplexed.

"No, I can feel it and get the shape with my hands, but I see nothing. It is not unusual for mages to be able to cast spells only they can see," Konstsntin motioned for me to cast it again. I did, and he quickly felt it out its shape and climbed on it. He jumped like I did until it ended and landed smoothly on the ground.

"Well, we can practice with it. But I also suggest you find out how many in a row you can cast when your aether is full." He drew his short sword. I sensed this was not going to be fun. In the end, it was a lesson filled with many suggestions. Konstantin thought the shield was defensive, offensive, and a great way to confuse an opponent's movements since only I could see it.

Tactics like casting one eye level parallel to the ground to combat rushing opponents. Creating tripping hazards low to the ground. And his favorite was creating a box if I circled an opponent and had the aether to spare. We were sweating heavily, and I was out of aether when Konstantin halted the practice. "You need a lot more practice, but I think you could join the Hounds if you wish." His statement hung in the air.

It sounded like a probing question, and I replied after a long pause, "I am fine in Castile's company. As long as we are not sent to die in a siege again."

Konstantin gave a horse laugh, "That was a tight one, agreed." He did not mention the Hounds again, "Now, as we head back to the city, I want you to give me three more ways you can use your new air disc outside of combat."

I came up with barring a door, keeping the rain off of me, and using it as a platform to jump higher. Konstantin considered each, "The door is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that one. The rain shield, not so much, Eryk. It only lasts a dozen heartbeats. It is a waste of your small aether pool. The jumping platform is good, though. Scaling a wall or descending out a window. Keep thinking and experimenting. The best warriors have solutions before the problems present themselves."

We entered the city of Sobral, and Konstantin led us to a herbalist shop. "I am going to leave you here to sell your harvest."

"I thought we were gathering them for the alchemist the Duchess was hiring?" I asked confused.

"Oh, you are—just not this batch. Once you sell them, give the coin to Castile or Adrian for the company coffers," Konstantin said, waving a hand in the air as he walked away.

"How do I know what a fair price is?" I barked at his retreating back.

"Figure it out," he yelled back and was gone to do his own business.

I entered the shop to find two older women at the back, crushing dry herds in a mortar and pestle. I approached them, and they gave my legion armor, a narrow appraisal with their eyes, "What brings you here, legion boy?"

The other woman eyed me up and down and suggestively said, "Need an ointment for the crotch crickets?"

The pair were not being malicious; they were just old women talking playfully to the younger generation. "I am here to sell." They had skeptical looks in regard to my appearance—either from my age or armor. I moved to an open table and dumped the contents on the table from my space. They were suddenly more interested and began sorting through the pile of fungi and flora, mumbling about magic being wasted on the youth.

I wandered the shop as they worked, and there were a number of jars of ointments and tinctures and bags of powders. "Are you two young women alchemists?" I asked, picking up something labeled red aloe and mint oil.

The one on the left chortled, "No boy. We might know as much as an alchemist about herbs, but we both lack any control over our aether cores to infuse potions to activate the ingredients. All of our concoctions are non-magical in nature."

The other woman added, "But sometimes our products are just as good as an alchemist." They nodded together, and I could see the resemblance.

"Are you sisters?" I asked, trying to be friendly.

"We are, Lyla and my sister Ria, at your service, boy." They nodded in unison.

"I am Eryk," I bowed, and the old women giggled at my formality.

Ria took over the conversation, "We are willing to purchase these," she indicated half the table. "For twelve silver and 40 copper. These are either too damaged or just not useful to us. These she pointed, and two yellow bundles of flowers and a stack of winterberries have value but not to us."

I did not know if their offer was fair, so I tried to haggle, "Twenty, and you tell me what I did wrong in harvesting the damaged ones."

Lyla narrowed her eyes, sizing me up, "Sixteen, and we will charge you four silver for an education."

I laughed as she had offered me less, "I guess you are not interested." I moved to gather up my harvest.

Ria took hold of my wrist softly to stop me, "Sixteen silver, and we will take an hour to talk with you and answer your questions."

The next two hours were extremely informative as the two older women liked to talk—and flirt with me. I learned about all the flora and fungi I had harvested, their uses, and their preparation for preservation. They explained what I did wrong in my harvesting, and I now had some ammunition to correct Konstantin. I moved the valuable yellow flowers and berries into my space. I had a list of what the older woman would want in the local woods and what they thought an alchemist would want as well. They had been extremely helpful, and I think they enjoyed talking with me.

I left the herbalist with sixteen small silver coins. It was not a bad haul for two days' work. It was three times what a normal legionnaire would make in a week. I made my way happily back to the Citadel to find Castile. Castile was in the dining room with the Duchess and Felix. Felix was taking notes, and I walked behind him. He had incredible penmanship and was drafting letters for the two women. Castile looked up, waiting.

"I made the company sixteen silver, harvesting in the woods." I placed the coins proudly on the table.

She looked up at me and then at the coin, "You can give the coin to Delmar. Did your training with Konstantin go well?"

"I made significant progress," I replied and relaxed as it appeared I was seeking her approval and praise for my efforts and would not get it.

"Good. We are sending out letters to alchemists registered with the Empire. Continue to practice your gathering skills. When we get a bite, I will likely send you and Adrian to convince them to relocate to Sobral." Castile explained her plan. So that was what Felix was writing. I swept up the small amount of coin and retreated to my room.

I had just stripped off my armor when Delmar knocked. He entered, said I had done good work, took the sixteen silver, and left. I turned on the tub water to find it was cold. I knocked on Lareen's door, but she did not answer. I filled the tub with cold water and took a cold bath. Once clean, I fell asleep on the bed in my trousers. Konstantin had kept me up all last night, and sleeping came easy.

Chapter 84: Castile's Immodesty A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 84

My dreams started pleasant enough but did not end that way. I was riding a giant weasel into battle. The soft fur and rhythmic ripples on its body beneath me as it ran across the field were powerful, invigorating, and mesmerizing. As we ran through the woods, I saw Konstantin hanging from a tree tangled in rope and trying to extract himself. I laughed at him as I raced past. After seeing Konstantin, things quickly went downhill.

I soon found myself fighting a dozen elven archers underneath the aqueduct in Macha. My weasel mount was mewing and squeaked in pain as it was incapacitated with a dozen arrows. I desperately tried erecting an air shield to hold off their assault and cursing as I had not practiced enough and kept placing it in the wrong spot. The archers kept yelling in their language that they wanted their comrade back. Not the elf rider, but the woodsman scout still in my dimensional closet.

Then Konstantin was on the aqueduct above me, not to help but to give me directions on how I should be fighting when outnumbered. I tried to run while swearing at Konstantin and took an arrow to the back. I woke in a sweat.

Lareen was standing over me at my bedside in her nightshirt. I jerked back in surprise, "Eryk, are you well? Should I get a healer?"

I cleared my head and wiped the sweat from my face on the sheets, "I am fine." I regained myself quickly, not liking I had been found so vulnerable. The concern on her face was welcome, and I suddenly longed to be able to talk with my parents about my problems. I brushed it off and stood on the bed's other side, away from Lareen. "When is breakfast?"

"Sunrise is not for three hours. Do you wish for me to bring you something from the kitchens?" She asked conciliatoryly.

"Please. Can you have them make me an omelet with sharp cheese, diced sausage, and green onion?" I asked, yearning for some comfort food. Growing up, we had chickens, and my mother made the best omelets.

"What is an omelet?" She asked, confused.

"It is something from my homeland," I replied and then told her how it was made.

I dressed and locked myself in the bathroom. I then practiced my sword forms, incorporating my air shields until I ran out of aether. I exited the bathroom expecting to find Lareen with my breakfast, but she had not returned from the kitchens. I started doing some static stretches to relax. I had dated a yoga fanatic and health nut for a short time, and to placate her, I had joined her in the mornings. Back then, I was going through the motions to ensure she would stay the night, and now, it was relaxing. Maybe it was more relaxing that she was not here constantly correcting me.

I was fitter now, and stretching my aching muscles felt good rather than healing them with aether. Lareen entered with a plate and pitcher while I was in the cobra pose. She looked at me strangely, then explained her lateness. "I am sorry they burned their first attempt, and I made them cook it again." She looked around the room. "Do you want me to bring a table and chair into your room? Will you be taking meals here often?"

I looked around at the spartan room. "Yes, two chairs and a small table. I will take some meals here, and when I do, I would like you to join me." She smirked a smile briefly and then hid it and nodded happily.

I sat on the bed and ate my overcooked omelet. "Next time, tell the cooks to add a cream splash and whip the eggs together. They cooked this too long, and it is too dry and crunchy."

Lareen looked a little upset and blurted, "The first one was burnt…I told them to cook it again."

I held up my fork, "It is fine. I have had worse." I continued eating while she just stood there. She filled a glass from the pitcher and handed it to to me, taking the empty plate. The pitcher had a very weak wine, which I guess could be called grape juice. I started dressing, and Lareen rushed into her room to change into her dress. I was done well before her and was already walking down the hallway. Maybe I could wake Konstantin like he liked to wake me? I paused at two doors across from each other and realized I did not know which was his.

Both doors were blue tace wood, so I could not hear anything on the other side. I guessed he would have chosen the room facing the gardens and tried the door handle. It figures that it was locked. Lareen was fixing her hair back as she caught me in the corridor, "Is this Konstantin's room?" She nodded, finishing her hair. "Do you have the key?"

"No, only the Citadel steward and Marie, the servant assigned to him, do," she said regretfully since she was not able to help.

"What about Castile's room? Can you show me where it is?" I asked.

"It is in the Duchess' wing of the Citadel. I can show you," she smiled at being able to help. I followed her down some stairs and into another wing. The hallway had more furnishings, but it was still fairly sparse. She stopped and indicated the door, and I was about to knock when the door swung open.

A middle-aged male servant with messy black hair was standing there. I was not sure who was more shocked, me or him. When he opened the door, the distinct smell of sex hit me as warm air rushed out of the room. Castile was on the bed inside the room, her lower body under covers but naked from the waist up. A modest fire was burning in her fireplace. There was dead silence as no one moved or spoke. Then Castile, who made no effort to cover her chest, said, "Breakfast, Alder?" The servant ran off to the kitchen at the reminder.

Castile stood, still naked, and I was too shocked to do anything but stare. Nudity was not a taboo in the Telhian Empire, but it felt wrong. I averted my eyes as soon as she started dressing, "Yes, Eryk. You are here quite early. Sunrise is not for another hour." Her tone held a tinge of mirth at my embarrassment. I think she was showing off her body intentionally.

"Sorry. I just…I wasn't sure what I should do today." It sounded lame to visit her before dawn just to get orders, so I added, "And thought we could start working on another spell form for me."

Castile stopped dressing, still somewhat exposed, and she was hiding a smile at my shyness. Lareen stirred behind me, and I suddenly felt like a child. I looked up and met Castile's eyes. I just focused on her eyes, nothing else. After a pause and a small smirk, Castile pulled over a blue shirt to cover herself completely before speaking, "Not something to be discussed in present company. Leave us," she said firmly at Lareen.

Lareen scurried away, shutting the door behind her. I was sure the Duchess was going to know I was learning a new spell form before too long and kicked myself for mentioning it. Spell forms were not uncommon, and Castile was smart not to let the servant know what I was specifically working on.

I moved to sit by a large window. The view had the gardens below, and at least Castile had curtains in her room that could be drawn for privacy. A table, covered in stacks of papers, was here. Castile sat across from me and moved the papers, "We are trying to develop revenue streams for the Duchess. Her province does not have much. The only thing we came up with was opening the trade road," she frowned at the idea or our company clearing the dire wolves and other dangers. "It would add Sobral as a merchant stop but still not turn the tide of her financial destitution."

I sat there quietly, still uneasy about seeing her naked. Castile seemed content to ignore my intrusion and, seeing her naked, and moved the conversation forward, "Eryk, how has your training with your new spell form come?"

I eagerly created a disc above the table to change the focus and put a stack of papers on it. Castile felt the edges out, and the disc popped before the twelve seconds. My mouth hung open in surprise. Castile smirked, "Counterspell, remember? I just disrupted the aetheric weave holding the air together. It is a good spell form. Can it support your weight?"

I nodded confidently, "Yes. I can stand on it, and I have been practicing using it in combat with Konstantin's help."

"Good! Find out how much weight it can support. It should be around five hundred pounds, but it depends on the strength of your protection affinity. Are you ready for a time spell form?" Castile asked seriously.

"Yes, what are my options?" I asked, relaxing in my chair.

Castile smirked and stood with purpose. She went and retrieved a tome from a chest that was locked. She walked the book to me and said, "There are three standard volumes for each spell form for each affinity at the Telhian Mage College. The Duchess has a remarkable library, and all three time affinities are bound into this one rare tome. She is unaware I am borrowing this one, so keep it hidden in your space when not studying."

"Thank you," I pulled the book closer and opened it to an index. My Latin was much improved, and I quickly read off the spell forms.

Time Affinity Lesser Spell Forms

Hasten Mind

Seize Momentum

Echo in Time

Compress Sleep

Time Affinity Major Spell Forms

Hasten Self

Slow Aging

Age Target

Probable Future

Time Apex Major Spell Forms

Slow Bubble

Flashback

Ageless

Stasis

Castile explained, "There are more time spell forms out there, but these were the most utilized a hundred years ago when the book was copied. Time is a very rare affinity to have and you are lucky this compendium was in the library. The lesser spell forms are for affinities between ten and twenty-five. The majors are for twenty-five to forty. And the apex forms are from forty to seventy."

She did not ask which range I fell into. Based on my protection spell form, she was smart enough deduce that I could at least add a major spell form for the time affinity. There might be something stronger out there for my ninety affinity in time, but I could not access it with this reference book.

I paged through for a few moments, and Castile announced, "Learn this on your own, and do not share it with anyone. You should store it before Alder returns with my breakfast." I nodded in understanding, closed the book, and moved it to my dimensional space.

There was a brief silence before I intoned, "Thank you for preparing me for—life after the legion," I hedged. Castile gave a curt nod, but I sensed maybe something else there as well. Maybe she was planning on fleeing the Empire, and I was going to be her escort.

I turned the conversation away from the topic of the Empire, "What does Konstantin suspect of me?"

Castile laughed, almost musically, "A young man with too much potential to waste it. He talks about you like you are his own son. He believes you are from some backwater village on the edge of the Duchy of Tsinga and awed at city life. You are lucky he knows very little of the Duchy. He used to teach the history of the Telhian Empire. Did you know that?"

"No, he never told me," I said, interested in learning more about the man.

"He knows more about the emergence and formation of the Telhian Empire than anyone. He taught a truth that a duke didn't like about his ancestor and ended up in a cell. He was acquitted at trial, but no one would hire him as a teacher after that. He eventually chose to serve as a legionnaire," Castile explained Konstantin's fate in three sentences.

"Which duke?" I asked, thinking it was Octavian, and that was why he supported Castile.

Castile was holding back a smile, "Duke Soren. Duke Soren had an accident a few years into Konstantin's service while he was with the Hounds." I wanted to ask but didn't need to, as Castile continued. "He passed questioning by the Imperial Truthseekers." Castile's slight smile told me it did not give her much assurance that Konstantin was not involved somehow. I already knew Konstantin was dangerous, but if he could orchestrate a Dukes's death, doubly so.

A knock came at the door, and Castile allowed her male servant to enter. Alder cleared the table and served Castile a breakfast of sliced fruit with a small side of boiled oats covered in black syrup. Maybe chocolate? He also had a pot of hot mushroom tea. As Castile ate, she gave me orders, "You are to continue gathering herbs outside the city. Konstantin is going to join the men digging the markers. I need him to scout the woods as they move deeper into the forest. Sell what you can in the city, and let me know when the market is saturated. There is some demand, so it should be weeks."

"So, I am on my own? No supervision?" I also wanted to say there would be no partner if I was attacked. She nodded, and maybe being with Konstantin was not so bad. He was a formidable warrior, and I felt safe under his care. Maybe Castile was seeing if I would try to run. I was given the opportunity, and it was at the forefront of my thoughts at this moment.

"Do not travel too far from the city and return before sunset," Castile added, sipping her hot tea with satisfaction.

I stood, "Do you want me to give the coin I make to Delmar?"

Castile arched an eyebrow and thought for a moment. She picked up a sheet that clearly had notes on what I earned from my harvest, "Thirty silver a week. Anything earned beyond that you can keep, Eryk." She held up the sheet, "Your week started yesterday, and the sixteen silver coin counts. Ask the sisters where else you can sell the bounty of the woods in the city."

"How did you know about the sisters?" I asked, and Castile smirked. I just shook my head and figured she had been checking in on me with her all-seeing-eye. She probably wanted to be sure I was being honest when I turned in the coin.

I left Castile's room and headed back to my room. As I passed Konstantin's door, he stepped into the hallway. "Eryk, I am only going to be with you for the morning. After, I will be heading to help with the survey markers."

"I just talked with Castile, and she told me," Konstantin looked slightly surprised and amused, realizing what time it was. I decided to sway his suspicions, "She was occupied with her servant but spent some time talking with me."

He immediately understood. "Good, she needed some stress relief. You should do the same." You have to be the tightest-wound legionnaire in the company.

"But Castile said…" I started to say.

Konstantin shook his head, disappointed, "You need to listen to orders more carefully. She said not to force or abuse the servants. If they are willing…" He paused before continuing, "If you are too bashful or your servant is unwilling, join Firth at the Nasty Nymph. I will be ready after breakfast, and we can review everything I taught in hopes you do not do anything stupid to get yourself killed. It would not please me after all the effort I have gone through in training you." Konstantin walked arrogantly down the hallway, leaving me with a lot to think about.

Chapter 85: Goliath A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 85

Konstantin spent the morning walking with me through the northern woods. "The only large predator tracks were the giant weasels. You should be fine if you stay in my prescribed area." He set some boundaries he thought I should not go past, about four miles from the northern walls of the Citadel. Then he left me.

I thought it was a ruse, so I was constantly on high alert, thinking Konstantin may be shadowing me. I started gathering some of the easy-to-find red mushrooms first. They were in season, and the sisters said they bloomed overnight and needed to be harvested within two days. If the gills underneath were black, they had already released their spores, making them useless. The mushrooms served as the base for the simple healing salve that was used to close wounds.

Next, I focused on the blood grass. Not only did I need to make sure to get the roots, but I also needed to not damage the leaves at all, or they were useless. According to the sisters, they oozed a runny red sap if the leaves were damaged. This sap was stored in the roots and needed to be fresh for the alchemist. Not damaging the roots was tricky, and storing the dirt with the plant was easier.

I continued digging, cutting, and harvesting well into the afternoon. I was near one of the well-trodden paths when the largest man I had ever seen was walking toward me with a deer on his shoulders. I stood up from behind a berry bush, and he paused. "Legionnaire," he eventually said in a neutral greeting with a small nod. His voice was deep to go with his massive frame. He stood over seven feet easily, and his gray skin told me he was likely not human. He slowly scanned the woods around him, looking for others.

He did not pose as threatening. I cautiously nodded in greeting, "My name is Eryk, and I am out here harvesting herbs and shrooms."

His eyebrow arched, while his crystal green eyes quickly observed that I had nothing to carry them in. I reached down behind a bush, and he tensed. I pulled the entire crate from my dimensional space, revealed it, and tilted it toward him to show the contents. He nodded slowly and dropped the deer on the ground with a thud. He wore mostly medium-brown leather clothing. He had a stained club at his waist and a quiver with six thick arrows. A large unstrung bow was on his back. "I mean no harm, legionnaire, unless you intend harm to me. I am retrieving my writ to hunt and trade." His deep voice echoed in the woods.

I watched him carefully as he went to one of his pouches and retrieved a half sheet of worn parchment. He extended his arm, expecting me to take it. I carefully took the paper and stepped back. I read it while keeping my vision trained on him. The paper said the goliath, known as Maveith, was permitted to hunt and trade within the Sobral city woodlands. It had an official wax stamp that was now cracked and chipping. I noticed the date was fifteen years ago.

I looked up at the man, who looked larger every second, "This is over fifteen years old."

In his deep voice, he responded, "It has no date of termination."

I nodded and asked, "I thought the Telhians did not allow other races to live in the Empire?"

He cocked his bald head like a dog, "Is that so, legionarie. Your odd accent tells me you were not raised within the Empire."

"A forced conscript," I admitted. "But my mage company will be working the woodlands for the next six months." I felt it prudent to let him know I worked for a mage. I carefully handed the parchment back to him.

"He cocked his head again, "I served the mage that lived in the Citadel for a time. We had an agreement before his passing," he held up the parchment for a moment before returning it to his pouch. "All the wardens have the same agreement."

"There are more of you?" I asked a little loudly, looking deep into the woods.

The giant gray-skinned man bellowed a massive laugh, "No legionnaire, there is only one Maveith. The other three men are humans like yourself."

"Does the new Duchess know you are out here?" I asked the giant man.

"New Duchess? In Sobral City? I heard rumors from the city folk I trade with, but I can not confirm she knows of me. After the unpleasantness with the prior Baron, I prefer not to make myself known. Though, now it appears I have no other choice." He heaved a heavy sigh.

I relaxed slightly, "What happened with the Baron?"

His gray-skin face hardened some, "He demanded half of all I hunted and foraged. Also, I was prohibited from selling or trading to any city folk."

"I heard the Baron was a prick. What is a goliath?" I asked the man, indicating his race on his writ.

He was confused. "Prick? Like thorn? Yes, he could be described as a thorn." The man was not stupid as he puzzled out my slang quickly. His voice got deeper as he continued, "Goliaths are from Stone Mountain Island. We live there and rarely travel. And you will ask, why am I here? Because I have chosen to be here, legionnaire." His tone told me he did not want me to ask further questions on the topic.

"I will have to report your presence to my commander and the Duchess," I added, ready to react if he became agitated. I could remove his heart in less than a breath.

The giant man cocked his head, considering, "Perhaps it is best that I return with you, and you make introductions for me if it must be done?" His face soured slightly, and he turned to the deer. "I can make this kill as an offering to the Duchess and see if she will honor my writ as it is written."

I looked down at my crate and then at the goliath. He misunderstood, "I can carry your load, legionnaire. That way, I can not surprise you with an attack. Caution is wise around strangers." There was humor in his deep tone as if he did not consider me a threat.

"Fine, you can lead the way," I responded. He balanced the deer on his shoulders and picked up the crate that was small in his hands. After we walked for a while, I asked, "What are the dangers in these woods?"

The goliath replied immediately, "There are two giant weasel dens in the northeast. They mostly hunt at night. An ogre might wander into the region every year or so, and the wardens will band together to remove it." He thought for a moment, "Ten years ago, there was an active and aggressive treant. It has since gone into hibernation and is best left undisturbed."

"Why haven't the wardens taken care of the weasels?" I asked.

"Balance legionnaire. The weasels hunt the weak, sickly animals and keep the predators in check by defending their territory. If their population expands to over a dozen, we may meet and decide to eliminate a pair in the next breeding season." The goliath patiently explained.

The walls of the rear of the Citadel came into view. I waved at the only spotter in the rear tower. He must be familiar with the goliath as he did not sound an alarm. "Do you frequently travel to the city?"

"I usually trade with locals over there. Just one day a week," he pointed to a tree clearing with an old crumbling stone structure. The area was visible from the Citadel's archer's perch in the tower, so they had probably seen the goliath trade every week. So why wasn't the Duchess already aware?

When we reached the gate, the two guards were in clean uniforms and standing at attention. "Halt legionnaire. The half-giant is not allowed inside the Citadel grounds." The man gripped his spear tightly and moved to a readiness footing.

"I see you are being trained. Maveith here," I inclined my head to the goliath, "Is a goliath and not half-giant. He is here to speak with the Duchess."

The guard looked at his companion and seemed unsure. He pulled out his whistle and blew two times in low key. The two guards from the inner bailey came out, followed by Adrian. Adrian's face on seeing the goliath was priceless. Shock, curiosity, and apprehension were playing on it.

I spoke as no one else seemed able to for the moment, "Adrian, this is Maveith. He served as a warden in the woods for the mage that used to govern from the Citadel. He hopes to renew his writ with the Duchess."

Maveith intoned deeply with agitation, "My writ has no expiration, legionnaire."

"This is Adrian, one of the leaders of my mage company. I am sure he can handle your request," I smiled at Adrian. Maveith put down the crate with my harvest.

Adrian rolled his eyes, "You two," he pointed at two guards with spears. "Flank the guest and follow me." He looked at me, a slight twinkle in his eye, "On your own for a single day and already bringing home strays, Eryk." He looked at my harvest, "Take care of that, and then find me in the Citadel. I will bring Maveith to Castile and the Duchess to review his writ."

I picked up my crate and went to visit the sisters. I only got three silver for half a day's work, but it was something. The sisters also told me of the other places in the city that would purchase certain things from the woods. I walked slowly back to the Citadel, stopping for a quick meal at a tavern. I got many looks from being in legion armor, and no one talked to me beyond ordering the food. I returned to the Citadel, and finding the group did not take long. They were in the dining hall with Maveith seated on a bench since a chair was too small. Castile, Adrian, and Duchess Veronica were in chairs.

"Is this your scout that brought the goliath to my Citadel?" The Duchess asked.

Castile responded, "Yes, this is my porter and scout, Eryk." The Duchess took me in twice before returning her gaze to the others. I wondered if Lareen had already told her about me learning a new spell form.

The Duchess was considering something, and they waited while she thought, "I agree that the terms are fair. I will want the other wardens to swear to me." Maveith intoned something in a strange language, and the Duchess nodded. She stood and left the table.

Castile had a small smirk after the large doors were shut, "Maveith, you and your fellow wardens will be reporting to Konstantin and Eryk here. Your writ remains valid, and your coin will be three silver a week." The goliath relaxed, and the bench groaned under his weight.

She looked at me, "Eryk, this warden, and the others are in the employ of the Duchess now. They will only be reporting what happens in the woods north of the Citadel and are not expected to fight. Go with Maveith, and he will introduce you to the other wardens. Make sure they understand their obligations."

Maveith stood and intoned, "Come, legionnaire, I will host you tonight in my cabin."

"My name is Eryk," I replied to the large gray-skinned. "Or do you prefer I call you Goliath?"

"Call me what you will," he said, unconcerned. "I still have my daily chores to finish before nightfall and do not wish to linger in your human city."

I was a little worried about being sent away with an unknown—monstrosity. I looked at Castile a little pleadingly, "What if the goliath decides he is hungry and eats me in my sleep?"

Maveith chuckled at my words, "Don't worry, legionnaire, human flesh tastes bitter to me."

Castile ended the humorous argument, "Goliaths are known to be an honorable people, Eryk. I doubt he has ever even tried the flesh of a human."

Maveith grumbled a deep laugh, "Never assume something, mage." I think he was joking and just saying that to needle me.

Adrian finally spoke, hiding his own grin, "We will avenge you if you fall, Eryk." But he was smiling, too, at my discomfort. I guess I missed the conversation they had before I arrived, where the trust had been established. "Eryk, take Maveith to the storeroom. He is allowed to take what he can carry as part of his bonus."

"I am assuming he can carry a lot?" I said, looking at the massive humanoid. "And where is the storeroom?"

They called a servant to bring us there. I was a little surprised to be sent off with a strange goliath. I wished I had had some time to ask why to Adrian or Castile. As we walked to the storeroom, "Do not worry, legionnaire. I will keep you from harm in the scary woods."

"Who is going to protect you from me?" I replied off-handidly. He just laughed, scaring the servant with his baritone.

"I like you, legionnaire. We are going to have fun," he said as we descended stone steps. He barely cleared the doorway. The storeroom was full of just foodstuffs. Maveith took a small cask of cooking oil, two large bags of flour, four racks of salted ribs, and a large bag of dried peppercorns. He seemed satisfied even though he could carry more.

"Did you trade the deer for these supplies?" I asked as we left.

"Mostly. That and the promise to help serve as the forerunner for your company placing the markers. I also have to convince the other wardens to help, and that is why you are coming." The large man said as we left the Citadel gates.

We walked in silence for a time as the goliath tried to get his awkward burden comfortable. I could have carried it all for him, but presently, I thought it wise to continue to let him underestimate me. After an hour, we finally did start talking….