Small Miracles II

Two Hours Later

"You're doing it wrong" Marv just closed his eyes as Pops swung his padded mace towards Dylan, who just simply backed off and kicked at his legs. They had been sparring since the buttcrack of dawn, with at least a little improvement in teamwork. The old man shook his arms in frustration at the wizard's response to everything.

"You want to come over here and explain why you damn dress wearer?!" he snapped back as his teammate was about to counter. None of them wanted to practice with other teams, as it could give anyone who entered the tournament an edge for either the cooperative events or solo.

"Both of you! Stop! Marv, you're not helping," Dina intervened, putting her hands up between them as sparks seemed to fly from each other's eyes. A low grumble escaped the tank's lips as they backed off.

"He keeps trying to use a clubbing weapon against someone who can easily dodge. That's never going to work," the spell caster tried to explain to her.

"Don't tell me that, try and give him the advice without coming off as a know it all. Maybe we should all take a break; this whole thing is getting on everyone's nerves," the brunette replied as the rogue sat down right where they were fighting, dropping his wooden daggers on the ground and crossing his arms.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," Dylan remarked as he glanced off into the rest of the training courtyard. The adventurer's guild had a new hall built, courtesy of the empire after the first one had been burnt down. While it still looked relatively the same as the old one, there were a few minor improvements such as brand new paint and different roofing. It was mostly done to prevent building fires from spreading with new sealant glazed on the outside walls. It did help keep the ambient temperature comfortable, however.

Pops glanced over at the ranger as she tried to mend fences between their stressed party. He knew it would dash her dream to at least try and prove their mettle, instead of the slow and steady approach they had normally taken in quests. In many ways, she saw more in them than they saw in themselves. "No, we keep going. Hopefully, we can-" he stopped speaking as his eyes landed on Ezra walking along the tiled pathway covered by a long pergola. The young priest noticed them and waved, continuing on towards another group of what looked like Mithril ranks. As the young Rikter stopped, he opened a small satchel at his side and pulled out a rosary for a man that appeared to be a half-orc. While uncommon, they held the same rights as anyone else in the empire and didn't share the same anger management that the full-blooded had in the grand tribe.

"Huh, I wonder how he rose up the ranks so damn fast," Dylan queried as Marv stepped forward a little.

"Probably one of the illegal arenas that were shut down. They kind of ran rampant when Artinia was still a thing. Damn, that's pretty impressive that he got that plate so fast." The half-orc thanked the teenager and nodded as they spoke, his large canines protruding from his lips and jutting upwards. They weren't as pronounced as a full-blooded orc's, though they were still noticeable. "He knows his stuff if he's with a band of adventurers that care about his skill rather than what runs in his veins."

A paladin walked up next to his partner, scratching his brown beard and listening to the conversation, then waved off the priest as he pulled out his own symbol of his god that he worshipped. Ezra simply put up his hands in surrender, not attempting to insult anyone. The man simply nodded and accepted they had faith in two different deities, though what power the paladin wielded was still undecided on where it came from. "You think that pally is given the blessing from his god or goddess?" Pops asked gruffly.

"Does it matter? He can cure some diseases, smite undead, runs around in plate armor, and is a walking lantern in some cases. I wouldn't care where that power comes from, as long as he was on our side and didn't want to backstab anyone. It seems they're friends at least, so that means he's ignoring the half breed's looks and understands the person he is under that face," Marv replied. A dark elf blade dancer walked up next to both of her party members and tapped the half-orc on the arm; as he turned his head to look at her, she handed him a sandwich. Dina was impressed.

"They have a pretty diverse group. I would have never expected a dark elf to become an adventurer," the brunette remarked. Ezra laughed at something the paladin said and waved goodbye as he left, slowly making his way to the Orc Destroyers.

"Greetings on behalf of Elesia, all of you," the white-haired teenager told them as he bowed.

"Well, look at you, in charge of a whole temple now, eh Ezra?" Pops asked. The priest looked up at him, confused, then pointed at himself.

"I share control of it with another. I… I mean, I guess I sort of run things now, though I'm not quite sure I really know what I'm doing," he replied, scratching the back of his head with a lighthearted chuckle escaping his lips.

"So, I guess you aren't in the adventurer's business anymore, are you?" Dylan queried.

"I'm a silver rank, aren't all of you gold? Congratulations on that, by the way." Ezra pulled out the little talisman that held his plate under his robes, with the rest of them having their tags sitting squarely on their chests for everyone to see.

"Yeah, heh, heh, we did rise up a little; right now, we're training for a tournament. Maybe… you might be interested in joining our party again?" Dina said as she giggled a bit.

"I'm sorry, but priests aren't allowed in that tournament. No assistance to keep a group standing, it's a rule," he replied. "It's to stop a band of adventurers or mercenaries from having a never-ending battle in team combat. If it went on and on forever, people would get bored and go home, with no clear victor."

"What happens if someone decides to cheat and poison another?" Marv asked, glaring a little at Dylan.

"Oh come off that now, I didn't poison you; that was your choice fair and square."

Ezra pulled out a small piece of paper from his satchel and handed it to them. "Priests are on the sidelines to assist anyone who requires healing. Look for those symbols, and someone will provide help. I'll be overseeing the tent nearby, actually, though… I hope we don't need to run into each other."

"Well, are healing potions allowed?" Pops questioned him.

"I'm… unsure. You'd have to ask the adventurer's guild if that is a rule, I just know what priests are allowed to do in the area. I only just got asked if we could spare some hands to mend wounds for those who were roughed up too much."

Marv started asking him a question involving how strong he felt he was after the abbey incident, stopping mid-word as Ezra seemed to gawk for a moment at someone leaning against a doorsill. "Morlan?!" he shouted in laughter. All eyes turned towards the door as his brother started walking over with a smile, Elsei right behind him.

"I saw you walk into the barracks and was wondering, 'why is my little brother going back in here? Is there another problem at the abbey?' The receptionist just informed us that you are in charge of a temple here. Congratulations, Ezra." His younger brother hugged his much larger older sibling around his waist, barely hearing the plate he was wearing shift slightly over the interesting under armor. Pops dropped his club as both he and the rest of their team saw just what they were wearing. It was well beyond anything an Adamantite rank could ever hope to wear, with weapons that rivaled what they thought possible.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were working alongside the empress," Ezra questioned him as his brother ruffled his hair.

"We're actually just heading to the palace here, had some free time, and walked around Aureos. I just finished a quest for our beloved ruler, and now I'm… well, I'm here." The warrior pulled out an amulet from under his chest plate to show the emblem of the empire, allowing access just about anywhere without interference. Anyone who attempted to stop them should be ready for open aggression, where even clockwork soldiers came to his assistance. "Are we interrupting anything?"

Adventurers from all ranks started to gather around after seeing them stand there, studying their equipment from top to bottom. From what they knew, the man had disappeared when being brought back to Aureos for a trial with his family. The entire time he was missing, Morlan was actually with the empress training. "Uh… we… we were sort of… um…" Dina tried to reply, just staring up at the mass of muscle and plate. Ezra looked at her and Pops, waiting for a reply.

"I guess we can take a little break…" the old man replied, waving his hand nonchalantly as he bent down to pick up the club to put away. The team followed the Rikter brothers out of the hall as other adventurers just kept watching around corners, heading off towards a café. Once situated at a large table outside, cups of a dark liquid were poured. Coffee had been introduced and became extremely popular just recently, with shops popping up throughout the country along with assorted teas. "Huh, things really are changing." Pops gazed at two bipedal rabbits sitting behind a small stall haking their wares from the Seong Neow Republic. There weren't just anthropomorphic animals or catgirls running around, with regular, highly intelligent creatures going about their lives.

(Recommended Song: BigRicePiano – Cappucino)

"Yeah, I guess their government doesn't control everything, their merchants sometimes steal away to sell to everyone else. Artinia would have never let them in, but the empire is more than willing to let them come around now without fear of being kidnapped and sold as slaves. Some of the stuff is kind of nice," Dylan replied as he poured some sugar and cream into his cup. A brisk breeze flowed through the street, which made them shiver a little. The owner of the establishment leaned out the door and cast a spell multiple times, creating floating balls that glowed orange and stayed in place just above the tables outside. Heat radiated down, like a nonvolatile fireball. A piece of parchment vaporized in his hand as he went inside, showing that magic scrolls could be bought and used somewhat cheaply to allow store owners to maintain customer service now, even carrying groceries out. There was also the fact that there were only four seats inside the shop, all in use.

"So, what's it like, working by her side now?" Ezra asked his older brother as he stirred his mug.

"Interesting. I've had to relearn a lot of things now. What's most incredible is the understanding she tries to put into everything she does. There's a lot of thought put into every action and swift response to protect those who need it. Empress Selene is… frankly, nothing like the mad king. It's fantastic." The priest was beaming at him, a twinkle in his eyes. "Now, don't be thinking you should convert or anything just yet Ezra; I see that look. I'm sure your goddess would be unhappy to lose you."

The teenager looked embarrassed as everyone watched him, the joke catching everyone by surprise as the huge warrior pointed at his brother, a catty grin on his face. "I wasn't… I mean, I didn't think… I would never do anything like that! I'm a priest and follower of Elesia, that's not going to change. Besides… um… the faithful of the empress's church are… are…"

"Odd? I've noticed that as well. I'm just letting all of you know, our majesty has told me most of what they preach she has never said, ever. They made up most of their own rules and follow the law of the empire to the letter. Their hymns they just made up, the books they made up. They're following an image they created of her, not the empress herself." The warrior took a sip from his coffee and glanced around at the entourage.

"I always felt they were a little touched in the head," Pops commented as he ate a Danish. "So, what's it like living in her majesty's castle?"

Morlan turned his head and leaned over the side of his chair to talk to the old man. "It's… well, it's not quite what I was expecting. Then, of course, I never thought to ever live in a palace. It's massive, with so few allowed to ever enter or stay. The empress seems to maintain her privacy and chooses carefully those who are allowed close in any way. To be allowed in is an honor honestly."

"Hmm, so that's why she's barely seen. Even the mad king had parades on a near-monthly basis as he was brought around on carriage from what I heard, disrupting street traffic every time. It's a wonder anything got done with his royal guard pushing anyone around in Aureos."

"It's worth more to have that money put into bettering the city or town," Morlan told him. "It's like she's trying to funnel the resources the towns and cities need to function and improve instead of just taking for the treasury."

"Her vault must be brimming with coin," Dylan chuckled out as Marv elbowed him.

"I haven't seen it myself, but I did hear that money isn't an issue for the government. Most of what you are seeing moving between hands around here is still the economy's doing. Almost none of it gets back to the castle, which… kind of makes me wonder how she provides sponsorships and funding for inventors and professors." Dina nearly spit out a mouthful of her tea then looked at him, blinking.

"She sponsors?" the girl asked as her hawk ate from a small bowl next to her.

The older Rikter looked around and seemed to put up his hands in surrender. "I'm not saying I know how she decides to assist in anyone's endeavors. Her choices are more than beyond my comprehension in many cases, but they always seem to bear fruit. Every time I've seen coin offered, it has provided a tool that has been invaluable to the people. Just look at those new gloves the fire department has or the police. None of that would be around had she not invested, with those alchemists and inventors ignored. There is even talk of a weapon that can disable a wizard's ability to cast spells, provided only to law enforcement." Marv sprayed coffee on the table from his mouth and looked at the warrior, stupefied.

"Good thing those officers are paid well. Chances of bribes I heard are next to zilch; I mean, they don't get anything out of it from working with the criminals. There's a rumor that they get bonuses at the end of the year for how decent a job they do, with pay raises expected by mayors every year to keep competitive," Dylan remarked as he warmed his hands on his mug.

"Thinking of signing up?" Dina asked him.

"Me? Are you kidding? You couldn't catch me in that uniform. Besides, even though we're helping them clean up the streets, I doubt I'd fit in."

Ezra leaned forward as Elsei quietly sat next to her partner. "So, what are you doing right now?" he asked his brother.

"At the moment, there isn't much to do. I'm currently still in training and becoming a… what's the title… director of… an agency, I think. The empress is working on a name to call it. I don't really have to worry about any jobs just yet until next year. Right now, I'm just keeping myself busy, offering to help where I can."

"How do you get in her majesty's good graces?" Dina suddenly asked. They all looked at her.

"Uh… from what I've seen? You don't do anything other than be you. She'll come knocking if she's shown interest," Morlan replied. "That's… kind of why I'm hoping to speed the process up for some people I know." Dina looked around at the others, her heart starting to race a little after hearing that.

"Others?" Ezra asked.

"Um, sorry, Ezra; on our travels, we weren't always within the borders of Artinia. There are other lands we did go to on occasion. There is a set of large islands to the southeast that wasn't exactly part of our territory… come to think of it, I wonder if the empress knows she rules over it, given it isn't in any books or ledgers…"

"It is mainly used as a port for ships to stop and resupply," Elsei finally spoke.

Morlan raised an eyebrow momentarily at her. "They didn't have much to resupply with. The villages there aren't like the ones on the mainland. It takes some effort to have them give up anything without a show of force… of course, they hated the kingdom so much, that might be part of the reason they didn't relinquish those supplies willingly."

"I thought those islands weren't inhabited?" Marv queried.

"Who told you that? Both have people with very different cultures living on them… with many who are much hardier than even Caerel. It's been a few years, I think some of our friends called themselves… what was it…" Morlan stopped as Elsei looked up and patted him on the shoulder. There was a carriage sitting in the middle of the street, part of a noble house's convoy to bring back liquidated assets. It was blocking most of the main road running through Aureos. There was an argument with people trying to get by as the head of the Reysor family sat back in his private transport drinking wine.

"Hey! Get that thing out of the way! We need to get through!" One worker snapped as others were in agreement. The obese nobleman simply sipped from his glass and waited for his employees to continue unloading what he owned into a house nearby.

"This isn't going to end well," Morlan commented as two police officers came around to see what the disturbance was about. The archduke of the Reysor family promptly waved them off, expecting the same entitlement as he did before the Clockwork Empire took over. That simply wasn't the case with the new law enforcement in the city.

One of the officers used a glove to lift the offending wagon and move it, with Alain gawking at the action taken. The police were purposefully made to be weak in Artinia, which was not at all what these men were in the slightest. They were equipped with far better gear than before, trained well and always were in two-man teams. "Stop that! Stop that at once! Do you know who I am?" the noble screamed out, pointing at the officers.

"We know exactly who you are, we just don't care anymore. Get these wagons out of here immediately, or we'll confiscate everything and arrest you for blocking traffic and causing a disturbance!"

Alain couldn't believe what was happening, looking rattled at everyone staring at him. "You'll… you'll regret this! I have far more power than you think I do! I'll have the tides turned within the week!" he snapped out. Morlan believed he was referring to the royal ball that would be held, probably in hopes of whispering into the empress's ear.

"No, you won't, but it'll be amusing to see anyways…" the warrior grumbled out, with Elsei pressing on the bridge of her nose and shaking her head softly, her eyes squinted shut. They'd have to act on some of these events in the future, well beyond the capability of the police or adventurers. Knowing just what was happening, even with the sheer strength of the empire's military and capability of the empress, helped them realize the issues that would never go away; no matter how powerful the government was, bar all organic life replaced with machines, there would always be discord they'd have to take care of.

I'm going to need a bigger team than just Elsei. This trip will hopefully bring that.

As the scene died down, the wagons moved out of the way, and traffic flowed again; Ezra returned his attention back to his brother. "So what's this about the isles?" he asked, curious.

"Ah, about that – I was thinking of heading over there and talking with some old friends."

"You've certainly traveled abroad often enough, we've heard stories of your exploits in other lands," Marv interjected, sipping at his tea. Morlan chuckled and took a swig from his coffee.

"Technically, most obviously wouldn't know about this. At least one of those isles we use as a port for ships, nothing fancy. It belonged to Artinia, well, at least the docks did. The towns never really followed the laws of the king, still believing they were independent. Given it took far too much to try and keep them in line, and the fact that we had other trouble elsewhere to deal with all the time, they were allowed to mostly govern themselves. Now that I think about it, I should probably warn the empress she controls that area."

"You mean she doesn't know how far her influence spreads?" Dina asked, surprised.

"Honestly, she's a very busy woman. There are times when I've been turned away to speak with her, having so many meetings in the day to keep the empire running smoothly. Most of the work is done by her creations. While it can be debated whether she is a goddess playing the role of a human walking amongst us, I can at least say it almost seems as if she is omniscient. Perhaps, she does know how far her borders really extend and just hasn't sent anyone to wrangle the Kaersians in. The Clockwork Empire has only had control of Artinia for, what, a couple of weeks? It took years for those lands to be incorporated."

"Kaersians?" Pops queried.

"Kaer Danel, the second isle. Kaer Orfur is the furthest. They tended to have trouble on occasion with a large amazon tribe raiding them. While strong, being picked at constantly does wear down their ability to defend themselves. Artinia provided… maritime assistance." Pops nodded in understanding at what the older Rikter son was explaining. While the vessels the Kaersians used were small and poorly equipped for combat other than boarding, Artinia had used battleships with mana cannons for broadside attacks to push back raids. Despite the discontentment of the people, they couldn't deny that the old kingdom was effective at maintaining border protection… at least when it served their interests to do so.

Ezra seemed a little downcast. "How long will you be gone?" he asked. Morlan gave him a quick smile.

"Don't worry brother, it shouldn't take too long. A few days at most. I have to be back for the ball to be thrown, standing by the side of our empress. In the meantime, I have a slightly open schedule so that I can catch up with you. Our parents would like you to visit at some point, though that will have to be planned and authorized by our ruler." The priest looked almost giddy, believing it would be impossible to ever see the inside of the palace in Aureos, let alone the Clockwork Castle.

"I'd love to! Oh… uh… maybe… that might need to wait until spring, though. I've got some new acolytes that need to be trained at the temple. I'm still surprised I was chosen to teach the way of Elesia in Aureos. Sermons are… well, I…"

"Stutter? Loss of words?" Ezra blushed, looking embarrassed. The warrior laughed out loud, holding his stomach. "It's alright, you'll slowly get used to it. Those followers look up to you, even if they have to look down to see you."

Dylan patted the teenager on the back in reassurance and chuckled, affirming the same thoughts as the priest's older brother. There was silence for a minute as they just enjoyed their drinks, watching the bustle of the city go by. The streets were clean, crime was being kept down, and for the first time… they weren't so afraid of the future. "We should probably get back to sparring…" Pops muttered out, hoping no one would really listen to him at the moment as he enjoyed the heating orb floating above them. It was slowly fizzling out, the scrolls used not meant to keep the spell running for long.

"Hey… hey, I have an idea! Um… well, if you're alright with doing it, brother…" Ezra piped up, looking around at everyone. Morlan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Elsei. She simply sipped her tea and closed her eyes, allowing him to make the decision. "Maybe… offer some pointers to my friends?"

"I was never very good at being an instructor Ezra, that was always General… er… Professor Falksworthy." The team unanimously sighed. "I… I guess I can give a few tips… I'm not sparring with anyone, though. You'll just have to listen to my advice." They agreed, realizing they were going to be trained by one of the best, an ex hero of Artinia, now an agent of the Clockwork Empire. "Elsei?"

"The bow is not my strong suit, despite what many would claim as the de facto weapon of choice for an elf. However… I do have some hunting skills that may assist in accuracy."

"Thank you, both of you," Dina told them happily. It would improve their odds if they decided on a team battle for the tournament. Ezra blushed a little at Dina, then remembered something.

"Ah! I can still help you as well!" he jumped up, nearly knocking over his drink. They all looked at him as he sat down quickly, nervously poking his fingers against each other. "I mean, I can't directly, but… well, not everyone is a priest at the temple. We do now have some of our own protection of the faith."

"You have a paladin to spare?" Morlan questioned. "Wait, why do you need one in the first place to offer?" He seemed a little out of the loop still, with what they were training for in the first place. Dina explained the situation, with the warrior dropping his forehead onto the table. There was a distinct frown on his lips that could not be wiped away with any explanation.

"You do realize those are just for the nobles to cherry-pick the best to keep under their control, right? The rewards are worthless compared to the chain latched to your foot afterward."

"That's what I was saying!" Pops replied, agreeing with the older Rikter brother.

"Haven't you been in a few?" Dina asked Morlan meekly, looking around at her group. He sighed and pushed back a stray lock of hair on his forehead.

"One, and I refused the prize due to the fact I was in Artinia's military, and I was a Rikter. I dodged that arrow. Trust me, there's corruption still in those tournaments, I've seen it firsthand. Who entered the team?" the warrior asked, looking at each of their faces.

"I did…" Dina mumbled out, feeling as if she had made a mistake. A palpable silence struck them as Morlan sighed and put both of his hands on the table. "I'm tired of being looked down on by those higher ranked adventurers and –"

"To hell with what they think, ranger. Adamantite ranks have always been full of themselves, most of them anyway." The older brother scratched under his trimmed beard before continuing, "those team battles are heavily against anyone that isn't the top rank, and they'll do anything they can to win, even cheat."

"But Tilly said –"

Morlan let out a sarcastic laugh. "You think the guild is going to keep everything out of that tournament? Dina… it isn't even sanctioned by the government anymore! The rules don't fully apply! It's run by the nobles for fuck's sake!" he snapped at her. She stood up angry for a moment, brief as it was, then promptly sat down again as she realized… he was right. Her head shrunk into her shoulders as she looked at the table, annoyed that everything seemed to be stacked against her.

Just because she joined the small army at the side of the empress back then doesn't mean she has what it takes to win this damn it. Grrr… I should know… I didn't win the first time… barely survived it actually… that was before they removed lethal weapons.