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Chapter 46: Castile's Plan A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 46

After we returned from the wall, everyone removed the gear and went to sleep in the ballroom where their cots were. They had been on an eight-hour night patrol and then five hours on the wall watch, so they were exhausted, unlike me, who was excited as I had just imprinted the healing spell form. I wanted to confirm that I could repair bones but was not dumb enough to break one to test my ability.

I changed out of my armor and helped Lirkin in the kitchen adjacent to my room for a time. I was thinly slicing a cold roast so it could go in a pita-like bread for lunch with marinated vegetables. As I was helping Lirkin, Delmar found me, "Eryk, we do not need you to hold the potions. We do not have any more healing potions, and the remaining stamina and cure poison have been distributed." I nodded in understanding. "You can ask Lirkin here what perishables to store for now." Delmar left, and Lirkin was already thinking.

"Never been on the inside in a siege," he was in deep thought. "Something that will spoil and will not be available during the siege," he continued to think. "I know! Butter! It goes rancid in the damn bloody humid heat. You all consume five bricks at every meal, and most of the milk cows in the city will be slaughtered for meat. I will get you some freshly churned butter from the Citadel." He was excited, "Keep it a secret from the men; otherwise, they might nag you. How much space do we have to work with?"

I showed him on the counter, gesturing with my hands. A brick of butter was about three by three inches and six inches long. The box in my space was a fifteen-inch cube, so we estimated seventy blocks of butter. That was going to be a lot of calories. After lunch, I took a nap and, as promised, was awoken to add a lot of butter to my storage. Lirkin brought two hundred blocks from the Citadel, and I could fit the seventy expected blocks in the crate I reserved for legion goods in my dimensional space. The rest of the butter would be used in the next week for cooking.

I went to train in the gardens rather than remain in my room. Now that the city was under siege, Konstantin spent all his free time in the city kicking for rumors like Firth did. Everyone was training on their own, as our leaders were preparing defenses and meeting with the general and city guard captains.

I reviewed the seven movements of the seven sword forms. Then I stretched for a good hour to cool down. I finished with some bow practice. We had some straw dummies set up, and I was shooting from thirty yards. "Who gave you a bow?" Regis asked, watching me score a hit half the time. Regis was one of our company archers and had helped everyone during the archery competition on the wall to see who would wield a bow during an attack.

I actually had three bows now. Two in my storage space salvaged from Durandus' men, and this one I got in the Legion Hall armory. "I figured it couldn't hurt to practice. We only trained with a crossbow in training."

"Eh, a crossbow doesn't take much skill. Bows are superior because they are not as heavy, have a better rate of fire, and are not as bulky as the crossbow. Do you want some help?" Regis offered.

"Definitely," I replied. Regis was very helpful with helping with my pull and release. I tended to hold the arrow too long to aim. For the heavy pull weight of the compound short bow, I needed to draw, aim, and release in a single heartbeat. Regis advised for smaller targets, I could aim, but for people-sized targets, you just aimed and released as the rate of fire was just as important as hitting in a battle. At first, I got worse, but then I rapidly improved. There was some growing familiarity with the bow, but I was also getting a feel for aiming. I practiced till my fingers started bleeding.

Regis offered, "I have an old arm guard if you want it. I only have right-handed gloves for drawing. All our company archers are right-handed, but you can probably find an old glove in the regular army archers if you ask."

"Thanks for the help, Regis," we clasped wrists.

Regis advised, "If you want to be trained to be a real expert in marksmanship, talk to Blaze. He can hit a moving target at a hundred paces!"

We both went to dinner prior to the night patrol. Adrian read the duty assignments for the evening, "Eryk, Brutus, Felix, and Mateo. You four are on guard duty at the gate to the orchards. The guard captain there will tell you what needs to be done."

"I thought we were in teams of eight?" I asked before he could continue.

"Just one patrol tonight now. We are mostly guarding inner city gates to give the city guard some sleep after the increased activity. The days in the lower and upper city are getting busy for them," Adiran answered as he read off the other groups. Konstantine led the group of eight. By the look on his face, I guessed, like Firth, he had other plans tonight than doing his assigned patrol route.

I considered Konstantine's offer to join the Praetorian Guard. Konstantin and Firth always seemed better informed. That would be a huge benefit. My hesitation was rooted in the fact of revealing my affinities. From collecting essence from two dead mages, I learned that collectors seemed to form an essence based on a mage's strongest affinity. If they knew I had a 98 affinity in space, would the Emperor or a First Citizen think the essence I could give them was more valuable than what I contributed as a soldier? Supposedly, the forming of an essence from a living person was outlawed in the Telhian Empire. I was skeptical that the Emperor followed his own laws.

I focused on my duties. With my squad being in charge of guarding a gate, I had them take larger round shields over the bucklers. We were stationary so that the weight wouldn't matter.

After a short walk through the orchards, we reached the small gatehouse at the inner city wall. We passed through this very gate every time we left the villa, and the guards were familiar with us. Two guards in the uniform of the Count's Citadel were stationed here. I approached and said, "We are here to take over your duties for the night."

With a few days' growth and haggard eyes, the older man gave a curt nod, "Thank you, legionnaire." He banged on a door inside the wall, and two of his men stumbled out. They had definitely been napping. "Let me show you how to close and bar the gate," he said, gesturing me inside the room.

The guard room had a table and six chairs. The older guard said, "The cask over there is lemon water. Always keep two men on watch. We have been seeing more looters in the upper city in the last few days, but do not pursue them. Your job is to protect this gate since it gives access to the Citadel through the orchards."

He brought me over to the gate mechanicals. The mechanism was a simple winch that lowered an iron gate inside the archway. There was a quick-release lever that would drop the gate instantly. A heavy block could also slide over the lip, making raising the gate by force impossible. A rope was also attached to a bell mounted high on the wall. Sounding it, would mobilize the city guard barracks in the upper city if we rang it.

After the city guard left, I announced, "Brutus and I will start on watch, and Felix and Mateo can get a nap in."

Felix advised me otherwise, "Everyone is going to be passing through this gate from the company, Eryk. I don't want Adrian or Castile to see us neglecting our duty."

I was confused, "The gate captain just told us we only needed two men on watch."

Felix and Mateo laughed. Felix said, "Adrian does the duty assignments and expects us all on duty. You have not been with us long enough to see the company discipline. When Lirkin screwed up, Lysander being made the company cook was a mild punishment."

Mateo added, "Once Malcom fell asleep on watch in the wild. The entire company stayed with him the next six nights to ensure he did not fall asleep."

"That was in the Dragon Spine mountains. We were hunting down a legionnaire on the run. Why anyone would try to pass over the Dragon Spine is beyond me. It was freaking freezing every night. Worst week of my life," Felix added.

Brutus joined the conversation, "Durandus was the same way. He expected orders to be followed immediately and unflinchingly. Though it appears the discipline is lax in our company, it is not."

Felix and Mateo nodded, taking it as a compliment. And Felix pointed down the road. Some people in dark clothes moved under the gas street lamps further down the street. "Probably looters he muttered. I think we are going to see a lot of traffic." As if prophetic, five city guards came after them in pursuit.

Brutus muttered, "Not long before the city descends into chaos. At least between the regulars and city guard, they almost outnumber the civilians."

We watched the activity from a distance. Around midnight, Castile, Adrian, Delmar, and Orson returned. Konstantin was leading the eight-person patrol and not with them. They just nodded as they passed and returned to the villa. I guess if you were in charge, you could work half the night.

Felix and Mateo were talking quietly about what they planned to do with the gold they would receive from the dungeon discovery. Brutus and I were on the on the other side of the arch. I broached the curious subject, asking softly, "Brutus, what do you know about the Praetorian Guard?"

He looked at me and said, "I am not one of them or an agent of one if that is what you are asking."

I nodded, believing him, but asked, "How are they viewed in the Empire?"

Brutus seemed to think about how to respond, "They are considered loyalists. The Emperor's secret force of powerful intellects, mages, and warriors."

"Would you join the Praetorian Guard if asked?" I asked my friend.

He had a shocked look, "Firth asked you? He seems like a loner. I thought he just worked as a Praetorian agent and was not one himself. But then again, you never know." As to my question of joining, Brutus said indecisively, "Probably not. I just want to complete my twenty years and get my pension. Praetorian servants serve for the long term. It is also the closest you can be to being a First Citizen. So there is that."

I thought about it and said, "It was Konstantin who approached me."

Brutus eyes went wide, "Really? Two agents of the Praetorium in one mage company? Usually, there is just one in case the mage goes rogue."

I was interested, "Who was it in Durandus' company?" My curiosity focused on why he had not stopped the mage earlier. "Why did he not stop the attack on the storm giant?"

Brutus huffed at the memory, "Tauro. He led the archers and was the one the storm giant exploded with the lightning strike." He continued after a pause, "I don't think the Praetorian agents interfere with a mage unless they intend to kill him. I think they are only there to kill the mage if they betray the Emperor or Empire."

That was something I might be really good at—killing mages. I joined the Legion for protection and to learn how to defend myself in my new world. It got me thinking that maybe I should join the Praetorian for the same reason. It seemed sensible if I could avoid having my affinities read when I joined.

Perhaps before I do that, I should read up on the Duchy of Tsinga, where I professed to be from. I was sure they would ask me questions about my homeland. There was also the fact that Konstantin said foreigners were usually not allowed into the Praetorian Guard or as agents. So maybe any desire I had to join would be moot.

Just as the sun started to light the sky, our relief came. It was the same older city guard from last night. I guessed he had to work the post from sunrise to sunset since the Citadel Guard was stretched so thin with helping the upper city guard maintain order. Delmar told everyone to remain after breakfast when we arrived at the villa. Castile was going to address the company.

It took an hour for everyone to get back. A few people had minor injuries, the worst being Kolm, who broke his ankle jumping off a roof. One thing Linus did have was painkillers. Linus just planned to wrap the ankle tight and have Kolm take the painkillers if he needed to fight. Otherwise, he would get to remain in the villa to heal and rest. Others were already joking that they planned to jump off a roof in pursuit of a street urchin as well to get off duty.

With everyone present and attentive, Castile addressed us, "I wanted everyone to know my plan on how we are going to get out of this."

Chapter 47 A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 47

We all listened intently as Castile was going to voice our salvation. The company had a lot of faith that she would have a plan up to this point. Castile paced slowly, "We will be stationed at the Trader's Gate if the enemy marches on the city." Some men groaned at this announcement. The Trader's Gate faced the assembling Bartiradian army. It would be in the path of the attack.

Castile silenced everyone with a wave of her hand, "Mage Gregor and myself will be in the gate's tower. We are going to be countering the Bartirdian mages. The company's archers will be with me; everyone else will be stationed inside the tower on the ground floor. If it looks like the walls might fall, we will retreat to the inner city wall. We will move to defend the orchard gate with the upper city and citadel guards." This got some grunts of approval. Not having to sacrifice ourselves at the Trader's gate.

"If the inner city wall is in jeopardy of falling," she continued, "we will retreat to the Citadel. If the Citadel is going to fall, we will jump to the aqueduct and use it to vacate the city. Last night, we hauled up planks to bridge the section of the aqueduct that was collapsed by the Bartiradian mage," she finished.

No one seemed upset with the plan, even though it sounded like many things could go wrong. Our primary objective as men of the company was keeping Castile alive. If she died, we would be under the command of the nearest mage. That would be Gregor if he was still alive at that point. That would probably be a bad thing.

Castile let her words sink in before continuing with some scorn in her voice. "Duke Tiberius plans to ride at the head of his army from the City of Caranhagan and rescue us. He will march when the Bartiradians launch their first attack on the walls of Macha or in seven days' time from today." Everyone present had already heard the plan but not the details.

Adrian stepped forward, "When you report to the wall today, I will give you a tour of the gate tower so you can be familiar with it. I will also go over the retreat route to the inner city walls. Same groupings as yesterday." I groaned as I volunteered for the first watch yesterday.

It was not long before I was walking with Adrian, Konstantin, Pavel, Regis, and Malcolm. I fell in beside Konstantin and asked, "How was the patrol? No one mentioned anything at breakfast."

Konstantin grunted, "We searched a few houses. Didn't find what I was looking for."

I was silent, waiting for him to tell me what he was searching for. When he did not elaborate, I asked, "And what were you searching for?"

"Missing people. There is something in the city taking them and probably killing them. We were investigating the houses of the missing people. It is probably a shapechanger of some type. With fewer people in the city, the disappearances are more noticeable." Konstantin walked on unconcerned.

"What did you find in the homes?" I inquired.

"Nothing. They were all abducted in the streets. Usually sneaking around in the evening. The city guard lost the two men investigating two nights ago, so Castile was asked to help. She sent me. I think the child that Kolm was chasing on the rooftops might have been the monster. It moved too fast to be human." Konstantin elaborated.

"There is a monster in the city?" I sounded kind of shocked.

Konstantin huffed, "When isn't there a monster in a city? We don't have the Truthseekers or the Legion Hounds to investigate, so it is up to me."

"Legion Hounds?" I asked.

"The trackers of the Legion. It is usually a squad of four to six legionaries that specialize in tracking beasts, runaway soldiers, and missing legionaries," Konstantin explained. "I was a Hound for a while before joining Castile's company as a scout."

"What about the Truthseekers? I have never met one," I asked, trying to learn a little more.

"They have mastered a spell form in the clairvoyance magic affinity. It lets them discern when someone is telling the truth. Some mages also learn the spell, but the best Truthseekers always imprinted the spell form on their aether core." Konstantin patiently explained to me.

"Do you have any spell forms?" I asked the warrior.

"You don't ask a man that, Eryk. But I do have two. You need at least one to become a Hound, and no, I am not going to tell you what they are." Konstantin said lightheartedly.

"I do not see how that is fair. You know mine already," I joked back, trying to tease it out of him.

"Do I?" Konstantin had a serious tone. "I know you have a magic box, but is that all you have, Eryk? You don't offer up secrets if you do not have to. Telling you I had two spell forms could have been a lie. But now you think I have a secret or two up my sleeve," he smiled.

We walked for a while, and I decided to guess at one of his spell forms, "I already know one of your spell forms, Konstantin," I said casually. "You can move objects."

Konstantin skipped a step and was silent as we walked, not responding. As the wall came into sight, he asked, "It was the door I opened? I think that is the only time I used my spell form in view of anyone in years. Damn, Eryk. Sometimes, you surprise me for being a country boy."

We reached the base of the tower, and instead of climbing up to the wall, we went inside. Castile and Adrian were inside the tower talking quietly. They must have come here while we were gearing up after breakfast. Adrian noticed us, and Castile climbed the stairs in the tower.

Adrian began his lecture, "The crates over there are the arrow bundles. If you are not on the wall, you are runners for our archers. Our legion archers only!" Adrian spent a few minutes at the crates, "These arrows on the left are the junk arrows. The arrows are imperfect, and we will use them for trash attacks. These on the right are the best arrows we have and are with a black and white stripe near the notch," he pointed out the paint markings.

He moved to the other side, "These casks are sugar lemon water. You will fill the canteens of the archer in the tower from them. We still have to source our food from the Legion Hall. Either Delmar or I will send runners." There was a heavy table with seating for sixteen people; that was the only furnishings in the tower room.

Before he headed upstairs, Adrian told us about the retreat route, "If the wall is going to be taken, we will escort Castile to the Legion Hall first and grab prepared supplies there and then retreat to the inner city walls."

Pavel asked, "Do we really have time to stop for supplies?"

Adrian smiled at the man, "Never been in a city being overrun? Once the walls are breached, forming their army inside the city will take time. The regulars also have dozens of barricades planned and prepared to slow their advance through the streets. We will have time, and only a few of the invader's forerunners will reach us while we stop."

Pavel said, "That sounds like you plan to have the enemy within the walls."

Konstantin answered for Adrian, "If they want to breach the city, there is not much we can do to stop them. At least, now that we lost Durandus. Our job is to hold out long for the Duke to arrive."

I muttered, "That sounds like a terrible plan."

Adrian mimicked me, "Agreed. But we will work with what we are given and do our service to the Empire."

We climbed the stairs to the tower and found Castile staring out across the deserted buildings toward the army in the distance. Adrian asked her, "Anything new?"

"No, still just five mages, but there has to be more in their camp. They are blocking me from getting closer," Castile sounded annoyed.

Adrian turned his attention to us, "So here are our fourteen archer positions and the barrels where you refill their arrows. Castile will be in this tower, and Gregor will be in the tower on the other side of the gate."

Pavel and Regis in our group checked out the field of view, and I walked to the parapet and looked out on the field. I was surprised as the army looked twice the size as yesterday, and I counted six—no seven griffons in the air over their camp. I missed some of what Adrian was saying and didn't realize it when Castile suddenly stood beside me and said, "It is impressive. The might of an army of men. But one mage with enough power could bury that army in a heartbeat."

"Great, so we are not going to have to fight then," I said hopefully, but I knew she was not indicating herself.

"No, there will be a fight. The Emperor himself is the only mage in the Empire who could end that army. His mastery over void magic is the most frightening thing I have ever seen," Castile murmured as she continued to study the enemy.

I boldly asked, "Why did you let our company get trapped in this city?"

Castile didn't respond immediately, and I thought I had offended and angered her. Adrian was leaving, and my squad was heading out onto the wall for their watch.

When everyone was gone, Castile answered my question, "Mages are not as free as you believe us to be. We can not deny an order by the Emperor or any Duke. That is why I take the most desperate missions—at least that way, I can somewhat control my fate."

"It does not seem like fighting here in an unwinnable battle is controlling your fate," I offered in return and was expecting a harsh rebuke.

Castile tensed slightly. "No battle is unwinnable," she said softly, and I do not think she was referring to the army gathering outside. She turned, and we made eye contact. "It is all how you go about fighting the battle. Perhaps one day you will understand that, other worlder." Castile turned and walked down the tower's steps, not saying another word. I was too stunned to say anything.

Regaining myself, I spun to make sure no one had overheard her call me an other worlder. No one had been close, and she had said it softly. When did she learn? Did Adrian and Delmar know too? Konstantin had not figured it out, or he would have turned me into his Praetorian Guard master. I wanted to follow Castile and ask her questions, but Konstantin was already calling for me to come and enjoy the hot sun.

I joined them on the wall. I needed to find some time to talk to Castile alone in the future. I looked out over the wall—hopefully before the Bartiradians killed me.

Chapter 48: Rats Again? A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 48

After the wall watch, I tried to find Castile to talk with her, but she was not at the villa. The other men thought she was with Delmar in the city, making more preparations. After lunch, I took a nap in my room as I needed the rest, even with my anxiety about Castile's knowledge—or maybe guess she was guessing I was an other worlder?

My dreams were filled with nightmares. Konstantin presented me bound and gagged before an ancient-looking woman who was the Praetorian Guard he served. Delmar ordered me to attack the invading army by myself while completely naked, with just a bow and no arrows. Adrian sent me into the sewers to look for the last two Bartiradian soldiers we suspected of being in the city. Castile immobilized me with her shadow chains and then used her collector on me to harvest an essence.

I woke in a hot sweat in my bed. My sheets were soaked, and I drank an entire canteen of water to replace the water. My sweat was not just from the dreams, though. I walked out to the kitchen, and it was stifling, and none of the ovens were being used. It was still a few hours to dinner, and Lirkin was not around. I went out back to find a few men sitting in the shade and joined them, "Is it just me, or is it extra stifling hot out today?" I said, sitting with Brutus and Felix under a cherry tree.

Felix piped up, "Nope, it is not just you. Castile left an hour ago with Adrian and Delmar. She thinks the Bartiradian have set up a weather array around the city. Guess they plan to cook us alive."

"What? I thought they were not going to hurt the civilians?" I wiped the salt stinging my eyes away.

"Most have left the city already. Most likely, they can only get it so hot in here. It is probably just a scare tactic," Brutus contributed.

Felix spat a filmy mass of something he had been chewing on, "Well, I am already scared, so it is working."

Brutus said, "Heard Konstantin talking to Lirkin in the kitchen. He is planning to go into the sewers tonight to look for the monster in the city. He thinks it is a lycanthrope." I realized one of my nightmares may have been from overhearing the conversation while I was sleeping.

"Lycanthrope? You mean a werewolf?" Felix asked.

"No, Konstantin thinks it is smaller than a werewolf. He thinks maybe a wererat or werebadger. He found two spots it was heading in and out the sewers today," Brutus elaborated.

Felix drank deeply from his canteen to clean his mouth, "Does Konstantin ever sleep?"

"He is napping right now. Plans to put together his sewer squad at dinner," Brutus took the canteen from Felix and drank.

I joked, "So if we skip dinner, we won't be selected? Guess I am not feeling hungry." We all laughed and went inside. I invited them to the basement larder to cool off, and we found Lirkin down there doing his prep work for dinner. The heat had not penetrated here yet. We all helped him prepare the food. Cold sandwiches and vegetables marinated in vinegar and olive oil. Olive oil was a luxury item as the only orchards existed around the capital, according to Lirkin. He only found one small cask liberated from the Citadel stores and planned to use it all.

We helped carry up dinner to the dining room, and everyone had a sheen of sweat and looked miserable. Konstantin was talking with Delmar, and I did not see Adrian or Castile. The mood was subdued as we ate. Castile and Adrian entered and took some food as well. Castile spoke before Adrian announced the deployment for the night.

"This is the magical weather of the Bartiradians. They are trying to soften us up a bit. I suspect they will try to freeze us when the sun sets." Some groans echoed among us, including me. "Bring your thermals with you on gate duty and patrol," she continued. "Adrian and I will be moving to the Legion Hall after tonight to be closer to Trader's Gate to respond faster in the event of an attack." Everyone was silent as we assumed our days in the comfortable villa were numbered.

Adrian stepped forward. "We will continue to keep you quartered here." Some sighs of relief, "Tonight we have four inner city gates to watch, and Konstantin is taking five with him into the sewers," a panic rippled through the men, and some swore softly. "It is not that bad, men. The city has half as many people, and the damaged aqueduct flow has been flooding the sewers, cleaning it out some."

Wylie chirped, "So you are volunteering?"

Adrian held up his parchment and made a show of crossing off a name and writing a new one. He announced, "Konstantin's squad is Wylie," the men laughed as Wylie's mouth had gotten him in trouble. "Brutus, Mateo, Felix and Eryk."

Really, frigging selected again? I did the only thing I could and asked a stupid question, "With the aqueduct damaged, how are we going to get clean when we get out?" Apparently, it was not as stupid a question as I thought it was, as there were murmurs of agreement. Adrian looked to Castile, who went contemplative for a moment.

Castile smiled thinly and said, "The Citadel has its own reservoir for its baths. I will arrange for you to use the Count's baths when you return." That got murmurs of appreciation.

It looked like I would not be able to talk with Castile, and instead, I would be wading through shit and piss tonight. Konstantin brought the unfortunate ones who were following him off to the side. "We are looking for a wererat in the sewers. It has killed at least four within the city in the last week. Most likely, it is feeding a brood, so it is imperative we find the nest."

Thankfully, Brutus asked the question I was thinking, "Should we be worrying about this during the siege?"

Konstantin's glare made me glad I had not asked the question. "Wererats can become a plague in no time. One can become a dozen in a month. Now to the hunt. We are going to stop in the Citadel. We will be coating our blades in silver. In case you were not aware. Normal steel can cut, but it heals rapidly as do all lycanthrope species."

Mateo focused a question on the hunt, "Is there going to be more than one? Are they hard to kill?"

Konstantin nodded at the sensible question, "As long as they are struck with silver, they will die like any other creature. Silver is a strong poison to them. Now, I selected this group because you all have glowstones. Make sure Eryk tops off their charge." Stones started to be held in my direction, and Konstantin continued, "Although only one has been seen in the city, I suspect there are more. Not many, but more. My best guess is whatever their food source was, it has dried up since many of the citizens have left, so it was forced to take people from the streets to feed its young."

Konstantin then advised us, "Leave your lower body armor and get some wraps for the top of your boots. You don't want them filling up with sewer water." We all suited up and went to the Citadel.

The silver coating of the blades was simpler than I had thought. The smith had a boiling vat of thin adhesive. Our blades were dipped and then quickly had silver dust added to the blade. It was set on oiled stones to dry for a few minutes. When I got my short sword and dagger back they looked like they had been coated in fine glitter.

The smith advised us, "The glue will deteriorate in about a week. But even before then, the silver will be deposited in wounds made with the blade. It is much more effective than dipping a blade in molten silver to coat it."

Konstantin added with mirth, "And it takes a lot less silver, so the lords can save a little coin."

As we stepped outside the Citadel, it was as Castile had predicted. The temperature had plummeted. It was close to freezing, and the city was bathed in a rising fog. Konstantin paused at seeing it, "Ogre's piss." He signaled for us to be silent, and we all listened intently in the night air.

After a minute, he voiced his concern, "The Bartiradians are going to attack tomorrow. Should have realized all the aether they were burning to cook us was for a reason. One more cycle of a hot, humid day and cold night will make the fog too thick to see twenty feet in front of you. If they were attacking tonight, then it would have already started."

Wylie added his thoughts, "I vote we give them the city and let them take care of the rat problem." We laughed, but Konstantin's hard eyes made us stop. It looked like we were going into the sewers whether we wanted to or not.

The access we were entering the sewers had a barred iron gate. Two city guards stood near it, and one nodded to Konstantin, "We were told to expect you. Thank you for taking care of this legionnaire. Virgil was a good friend of mine, and I want him avenged. His wife thanks you as well." Konstantin just nodded and went through the gate, and we followed.

With glowstones out, we moved into the sewers. The sewers were about six feet wide, with a two-foot channel of murky water flowing in the center. The smell was rancid and reminded me of urine mixed with acidic vomit. We stopped at the first intersection, and Konstantin used a scarf to cover his mouth and nose. He handed us each one as well. It was coated in something; all I could smell was a strong, minty scent. We now looked like a bunch of bandits trying to rob the sewer.

Konstantin went into teaching mode, "Notice the flow of the sludge. You can follow that to the refuse chamber. There will be four or five city guards there guarding that entrance. If you get separated, head there to get out. Most of the entrances are barred, with no guards to let you out. The only other threat I know down here is the green slimes. They usually stay in the channels and are harmless unless you touch them. They can dissolve your skin after a few minutes. Just leave them alone, and they will not bother you." With those words of wisdom, we followed Konstantin into the winding tunnels.

This did not seem so bad. I had thought we were going to walk through sewer waste. "Look, a slime," Wylie pointed out with his glow stone. An amorphous, murky green blob was crawling along the filthy channel.

Brutus was ready to swing his blade, and Konstantin barked, "Hold, legionnaire! You do not want to lose the silver coating on your blade. Slimes are important to the city as well. They help compost the waste, kill rats, and contain disease. Leave it be."

We continued to follow the flow of the waste and spotted a few more slimes. We came to another intersection. This one is blocked by a gate. On the other side of the grate, the sewer no longer had a channel down the middle. Konstantin produced a key, played with the lock, and the gate swung open. I was not sure he actually used the key as he had shielded us from its use. I guessed it was just for show, as he used his spell form.

He turned to us, "We are going into the lower city sewers. There are a lot of side rooms from basements of the old city before they built the sewers. They should have all been sealed off, but many of the walls have collapsed over time. I believe the wererat is nesting in one of these. Look for small passages, loose bricks, and anything odd."

Konstantin stepped into the passage, and he was ankle-deep in green-brown muck. He started walking, and we all followed reluctantly. Mateo stepped on a submerged slime and slipped backward into the waste. We would have all been laughing at him but were instead spitting and cursing from getting splashed. I had been two men back and was fortunate not to get any on my face. Others were not as lucky.

Konstantin just shook his head, "Slid-step as you go. There are slimes in the sludge and probably a few deep voids in the floor as well." Mateo cursed that the advice was offered a little late.

After a number of turns at intersections, I was thoroughly lost and happy that I knew all I had to do was follow the flow if I got lost. We started encountering the side chambers like Konstantin had mentioned. The first one had cots set up in it, and there was mold growing everywhere. Konstantin spoke, "This has not been used in years. Probably a refuge from the last time the city was taken." We searched the room anyway and only found some cracked pottery.

The next entrance was just a few bricks missing at the bottom of the sealed room. Mateo, already filthy from his fall, was volunteered to check it out. He got a slight scare from a slime on the other side but no other threats. It was a small room on the other side with shelving covered in dust. A few rusted tools, and that was it. These side rooms only flooded during torrential rains, but the slimes cleaned them well. Konstantin seemed sure his quarry was in this part of the sewers, so we continued to search.

We searched over a dozen alcoves, old sealed-off basements, storage rooms, and overflow chambers. We were covered in things I care not to talk about. Even though the muck level never passed my knees, the splashing and wicking action had my pants soaked. The wetness seeped into my underwear as well, and I was ready to be done with this.

We turned at a Y-intersection, and Konstantin rasped, "Found you, you little devil." He turned to us, "Just caught sight of it. It ducked into the side archway ahead!" Even the prospect of a coming fight was welcome as long as we could get out of the nastiness of the sewers and hours of trudging through other people's shit.

Chapter 49: Death Dog A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 49

Konstantin quickly laid out a plan, "I will go first. Keep silent until I shout and then rush behind me for support." Okay, maybe that was not much of a plan. Konstantin slid forward through the murky brown water toward the arch. It was obvious the creature knew we were coming because of our glowstones casting light and shadow.

The archway looked to be composed of a wall that collapsed inward. Large stones littered the floor as Konstantin stepped up in the entry. At least we would not be fighting in the sewage water. He moved on high alert, scanning the shadows in the room beyond.

I could see wet marks on the stones that definitely did not look human, more like large animal tracks. Konstantin entered, followed by Brutus and then myself. Behind me was Wylie and Mateo. It was another sealed-up basement in the lower city. I watched Konstantin's sight line follow the wet footprints to the far wall. He made no move to follow them and instead gave us the signal to go right while he started left.

There was a lot of debris on our side: broken wood, broken glass, moldy sacks, and cracked ceramic jars. I was looking for a trap as I moved but did not see one. Wylie and Mateo were moving behind Konstantin on the other side, and behind me was Felix. We circled and met Konstantin on the fall wall. Konstantin quickly found a large panel of wood painted to match the stone wall.

We all stood ready as Konstantin and Brutus gripped the edge and pulled hard. The large plank crashed down, stirring up a blinding dust. Brutus tossed his glowstone inside immediately. The passage looked like it ran for a while into the distance. Konstantin swore, "Succubus' tits." He turned to me, "Eryk, go and check the pit trap in the center of the room. I smell something foul from it. Do not fall in." I noticed Konstantin no longer had his bandana covering his lower face.

I turned and confusedly looked for a pit trap. It appeared our wererat was an artist. There was a canvas painted like the floor and covered over. I pulled it aside and shed light into the pit. The drop was about ten feet, with a dozen rusty spear shafts facing up. A handful of slimes were working on two corpses that I could now smell even through my cloth mask.

I informed everyone, "Konstantin, two dead. They have city guard uniforms on. The slimes are working on them. Not much left." I turned to him, "How did you know about the trap?"

Konstantin was still looking down the corridor. "The footprints. They were not as wet in the light as the ones from the entry. I assumed they were painted on something. Also, the ratman let me see him. He assumed I would race after him. I assumed it was a pit trap."

Everyone was impressed, including me. I guessed the two dead men had pursued in haste on spotting the wererat, falling for the trap. Konstantin had not and approached cautiously, even with his prey in sight. Brutus asked, "Seems awfully smart for a monster. Are we to expect more traps?"

Konstantin stood and looked at everyone, "Remove your masks and pocket them for now. You are going to need all your senses as we go in further. I think this passage connects to another old basement. Our quarry will be there. I have not seen signs of a second ratman." He looked again, "That confuses me for the number of bodies it has taken in the last few days."

That was all he said as he moved in. Was he insinuating there were more creatures or that the threat was larger than anticipated? Somehow, I ended up behind Konstantin as the others had taken a quick look into the pit trap. Without my mask, my nose twitched. Konstantin smelled foul, but so did this passageway—like rotting meat. He held his hand up and activated a trap with his telekinetic skill. A bear trap-like device covered in sand went off.

The cloud of sand it created made me close my eyes and cover my mouth. I got the wrap to my mouth to breathe through it. Konstantin was frozen in front of me. He slowly exhaled as he had held his breath. He started moving forward again and pausing multiple times before continuing. I think he was using his ability to move objects to check for traps.

The corridor opened up, and Konstantin paused at the entrance to a larger room. I could see movement in the room through the shadows. The creature had been crafty so far. Were there more surprises for us? Konstantine gave the hand signals for two left, and two right. I passed them back, meaning whoever was last in line should go forward as Konstantin was right now.

On entering the room, piles of cracked bones were in one corner. Moldy sacks, crates, and bottles were scattered throughout the room. Konstantin was moving toward a hunched-over body. It suddenly stood and hissed, red beady eyes graced a scarred rat face on the body of a man.

It was cornered, and it knew it. I continued left as ordered to flank it. A mound of clothes erupted, and a beast leaped at me. My eyes crossed momentarily as it was a massive black wolf with two heads. The monster closed quickly, and Konstantin yelled, "Do not get bitten, Eryk!"

Foamy red saliva jaws came at me, and I did the only thing I could think of to save my life. I took a chunk out of its chest, and blocked one head with my shield and the other with my short sword. The wolf's head crunched my blade, breaking a few teeth, but its momentum pushed me onto my back. Blood erupted from both mouths as they tried to reach me. I heard the whacks of my companions hitting the beast on top of me, but I knew it was dead already.

Konstantin was yelling, "Get it off him!" The weight was removed, and I got to my feet, ready to fight. The wererat had been decapitated, and I did not see anything else moving. Konstantin was next to me, "Did it bite you!? Eryk! Look at me!" He forced eye contact, "DID. IT. BITE. YOU?"

I was covered in the blood that had leaked from its mouth, but it had not bitten me. I was slightly dazed from my aether bottoming out, getting crushed by a massive wolf, and the adrenaline of combat. Felix talked to Konstantin, "It looks like it was already injured. Missing a chunk of its flank that has scabbed over."

"I don't think it bit me. One head was blocked by the shield, and the other caught my sword. The blood is from its mouths. It must have had internal injuries," I said, wiping the smeared blood off my face and spitting the taste out of my mouth.

Konstantin looked worried and told the others, "See if you can find any access to the old stairs up to the surface. Look for any water. Eryk needs to wash that blood off." His voice was a little panicky, which made me panic. Konstantin never panicked.

"What?" I asked as Konstatin handed me a small flask to wash with.

"That is a death dog. It is not called that because it has two heads but because they are diseased beasts. One bite, and your flesh will rot in days. The cure poison potions we have will not work on it. We will have to get a cure disease potion from Gregor. If he has one…" His voice trailed off.

I got lightheaded. I realized the foamy blood from the mouths would have washed the saliva onto me and into my eyes, nose, and mouth. I removed my armor to wash better, but I knew it was pointless. Mateo found a barrel that appeared to be water washed down from the streets, and I used the murky water to wash as best as possible.

Konstantin was agitated and voiced his assessment, "The beast must have wandered into the sewers somehow, and the wererat befriended it. It was feeding it the humans it was killing in the streets." He indicated the chewed bones.

Wylie voiced, "Found it. It was bricked over, but it is here."

Konstantin rushed over and swore. "They used a cement. No time to tarry. You all carry Eryk's gear. Eryk, follow me." I was naked from the waist up as I followed a fast-moving Konstantin out of the sewers. He was clearly worried.

As my aether recovered, I focused my healing as we sloshed through the muck. He was right—I could feel a wrongness in my throat when my healing probes touched it. My healing would not eliminate the disease. I could heal the injured tissue it infected. So, all I needed to do was keep healing until the disease exhausted itself. That was a relief! I tripped on a rock or slime and fell into the muck. Konstantin looked back, "Come on, Eryk, no time to rest!"

The next time I was volunteered to go with Konstantin on any mission, I was going to protest. I got up and caught up. The others were falling behind. We got to the gate, and Konstantin waited for the others and ordered them to find and bring Castile to the Legion Hall. I raced after Konstantin through the fog-shrouded city. We entered the Legion Hall minutes later, and a few of Gregor's men told us to get out and wash up before returning. Konstantin just barked, "Get Gregor now!"

A sleepy, bleary-eyed Gregor appeared minutes later. Konstantin did not waste time, "Mage Gregor, if you have any cure disease potions on you, we require one."

He put his hand to his nose, "Did you bring the entire sewer in here, legionnaire? Castile already owes me more for the additional healing potions. I am not giving up my only cure disease potion," he growled as he sat down, and someone brought him a hot drink.

Konstantin's forearms flexed over and over as he balled his fists. He held himself in check as we waited for Castile. It was about fifteen minutes before she came into Hall. She walked up to me and looked at me for a long moment, "Fuck, he is infected. Gregor, give me the cure disease potion," she said impatiently.

"Castile, we divided the potions equally, and I already gave you more of the healing potions. I may need it for myself," Gregor said, unconcerned about my fate.

"It was a bloody death dog, Gregor!" He looked sharply at me, eyes going wider. "It got into his eyes. He has very little time before he is permanently blinded! Give me the fucking potion!" While they were having a shouting match, I started to focus, slowly pushing healing aether into my eyes.

Gregor did not budge, and Castile pulled her wand. It was the one that cast blue missiles in the dungeon. She threw it at him. It hit his chest and clattered to the floor. "That is worth twenty potions. Give me the potion!"

Gregor bent over and retrieved the wand from the floor. "I will be back with it." He did not hurry as he left.

Castile turned to the legionaries in the room, "Prepare him multiple baths in the horse troughs. He will scrub himself clean in each one. Then, he will consume the potion. Hurry!" She ordered, and the half dozen men raced to it.

The three water troughs were barely big enough for me, but I made use of the impromptu bathtubs. The cold water scrub was welcome. The first tub ended a murky brown. The second was a light milky white from all the soap I had used. The third was going to be a rinse. I had just settled into the third and final tub when Castile walked out. It was very early morning, and the cold air was turning to humid air as the Bartiradians switched their weather array.

We were the only two people in the stable area as there were no horses. She sat on the edge of the tub and looked into the water briefly before handing me the potion. I drank it immediately. With my healing sense, I could feel the redness aura of the disease getting washed away. It was a relief as my healing ability was not able to counter the disease. Castile did not leave, though, and just sat there. I broke the silence and asked, "Why do you think I am an other worlder?"

Chapter 50: And All is Laid Bare A Soldier's Life

Ranobes

Chapter 50

Castile's dark gray duster cloak was draped behind as she focused on the far side of the stable yard. I was in the largest trough but suddenly felt confined and trapped as my question hung unanswered. Finally, Castile said, "I am going to tell you a story. I do not wish it repeated." Still staring straight ahead, her hand graced the top of the water in the tub. Her hand skated across the surface, and I tensed as it passed over my lower body, but she never looked down, just straight ahead. I nodded, as that was what she was waiting for.

She started her tale with a quiet whisper only I could hear, "When I was a little girl, my mother told me of my grandfather. He was from a place called Madridspain. He came into his magic late in life. But he was powerful. He could teleport almost an entire mile. He could draw aether directly from the ley lines and travel along the ley lines with amazing haste by combing both abilities." She shifted her weight, and I found myself staring up at her stoic profile just above me.

She heaved a sigh, "I never met him, but my mother talked about him and his amazing magic. His most impressive magic was an obliterate spell. He could banish people out of existence. It was from the void sphere of magic, his strongest sphere of magic." She paused and looked down into my eyes, "He was called to the Emperor's service. He was to be made a court mage and wed to a duchess, a First Citizen, and my grandmother's marriage to him was to be annulled. He told my grandmother he would go to the Emperor and reject his offer."

Her eyes returned to looking in the distance. "My grandmother got a letter a month later saying my grandfather had died fighting the enemies of the Empire." Her tone was laced with doubt.

She sighed, "When I was tested on my coming-of-age at a tablet I and was found strong enough to attend the Mage Academy, I did so. My mother warned me never to show my true strength, or I might end up like my grandfather. I followed her advice but also spent long nights in the library reading everything I could about other worlders. I never found notes on another one from Madridspain, which surprised me."

My heart started beating rapidly in my chest. At this moment, I could move Castile's heart into my space and end her. Instead, I tried to remain calm, shifted in the water, and asked, "What else did you learn?"

Still looking forward, I saw her smile, it looked odd on her normally impassive face. "I learned other worlders always arrive in groups according to the Empire records. They always have access to multiple affinities of the rare magics. And that the Emperor always calls any other worlder with void magic as his strongest affinity to his service." She looked at me, "Do you know what happens when you use an essence collector on a mage with a primary magic affinity over fifty?"

"No. What happens?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"An essence is always formed in relation to that affinity—always formed," she stressed. "The Emperor is the most powerful void magic user ever recorded. My grandfather was not the only void mage sent to serve the Emperor who met an unfortunate fate. The public records are stricken and hard to find, but even then, I found over twenty in the last three hundred years of his rule." Castile stood, removing herself from the edge of my tub.

"You never answered my question," I asked stupidly. "Why do you think I am an other worlder?"

She smiled coyly, "You should talk more with your legion mates, Eryk. They would have told you I am famous for three spells. Shadow chains, dispel aether and the all-seeing eye. You have seen me use my shadow chains. My dispel aether is powerful as it allows me to dispel another mage's aether as they try to form a spell. You have also seen me use my all-seeing eye a few times. I summon an invisible aetheric ball that I can send anywhere to scout. My eyes see through it. It can pass through walls and can be sent hundreds of feet away from me. I was using that spell on the wall yesterday," she smiled at the panic in my eyes.

"And what have you seen with your all-seeing-eye that makes you think I am an out-worlder?" I asked weakly.

She snuck a peak in the water again, and I felt myself flushing red for some reason. Her small frame gazed down at me like a colossus, "You did not get the single room by accident, Eryk. I figured you would feel safe inside it to reveal your secrets and asked Linus to tell you first about the move to the villa."

"What? Why would you do that?" I asked as I thought about taking Castile's heart again.

"It was the dungeon. I sent my eye to check on you and found you bathing in the waters furiously, trying to clean yourself and your armor. I assumed you went into the next chamber and fought another monster. I immediately ordered everyone out of the dungeon as I did not want the First Citizen to take whatever prize you may have recovered from the final monster in the dungeon."

"So you want that prize for yourself," I asked a little frostily. I did not even know what the pendant did.

"So you did recover something? Interesting." Her eyebrows arched in thought, "No, you can keep whatever coin and prize you obtained from the dungeon."

"Then what do you want?" I asked, thinking there was maybe a way out of this. "Are you going to turn me over to the Emperor?"

She laughed harshly, "Why would I do that? It would gain me nothing but a pat on the back. I want you to know we are on the same side."

She started to leave, and I asked, "What else did you see with your all-seeing-eye?"

She smiled knowingly, "I know you like the griffin pillow the men gave you. They think you sold it, so keep it hidden. I also know you studied a healing spell form and can now heal yourself of flesh wounds." My mind raced to all the things I had done in the privacy of my tiny room, with the door locked and the window blocked. She could not have been watching me all the time? Not in the middle of the night, when I…

"Did you get an essence from the elf mage?" She interrupted my thoughts.

"What? The elf from the Bartiradians?" I asked numbly. Castile's eyes were hard, her smile gone, and stared through me. "Yes," I admitted. "It was brown with swirls in it."

Her eyes sparkled at my admission, "Do you still have it, what size was it?"

"No, I consumed it. It was an apex essence," I admitted.

"Pity, High Mage Dacian would have given a fortune for an apex earth essence—an opportunity lost. Know, Eryk, powerful mages always give an essence. The chance of an essence coalescing rapidly decreases after thirty minutes. Before that tipping point in time, I got to that mage, and no essence formed, so I strongly suspected you had Durandus'collector. I admit I was confused at the Tribunal Trial. Your control over your dimensional space is exceptional to have brought out that perfect cube of sand."

She smirked, "It was after the failed essence from the mage that I started to watch you even more closely." She sized me up in the tub again, "If we escape this city, we can talk again about your other affinities." She turned and left me in the cold water.

I was stunned. I had been found out—I think. Castile knew about my larger dimensional space. I never confirmed I was an other worlder for her, though. I dunked my head under to feel the cold water one last time. I dressed and drank the cure disease potion before returning to the villa. I used the potion even though my healing spell form worked, as I did not want to take any chances of having my eyes rot out of my skull. The potion was extremely bitter and reminded me of sour grapes without any sweetness. It worked, though, and I could feel remnants of the disease with my healing aether disappear as the potion eliminated all traces.

Walking the streets back to the villa, the hot, humid weather was oppressive, easily past 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). The Bartiradian mages had turned up the temperature again today, so I suspected the fog was going to be much denser tonight, and Konstantin was sure they planned to attack. I entered the villa just before the mid-day meal, and everyone was just waking up from their nap after patrol and getting lunch in the kitchen.

Flavius spotted me first, "Crap, Eryk, Pluto must hate you to keep turning you away from his domain!" Everyone crowded in on me to hear my tale of battle, death, and being revived once again by Castile after trading one of her prized magic artifacts for my cure poison potion. As I wove my tale, I made sure to stress Castile's sacrifice in front of the men. She deserved that much.

Benito praised, "Just like a story of myth, except in yours, it is the woman that saves the man!" This got a whole bunch of jabs at how unmanly it was for a woman to sacrifice so much to save a plain legionnaire like me. I just wanted to get some sleep in my not-so-private room. Castile was at the Legion Hall—so maybe she could not spy on me from so far away…

Adrian broke up lunch, "Everyone, get some sleep. We are all headed to the Trader's Gate before sunset. It is likely there will be an attack tonight."

A few men on punishment details spent their afternoon fortifying the villa under Konstantin's direction. We were not planning on defending the villa but actually retreating to the Citadel if the inner city wall fell. The three men were being punished for going into the city alone.

I found myself in my tiny room. I decided to send all my possessions into my dimensional space. No one was paying much attention to me, and Castile and Delmar were at the Legion Hall, and Adrian probably was headed there as well. No one would notice my room was clean. Also, Castile already knew my space was larger.

I slept restlessly with dreams that everyone in the company was watching me as I slept. Mateo woke me with loud, continuous banging on my door. "Come on, Eryk. It is time to go and stop the entire Bartiradian army while the regulars watch and sip ale."

I geared up in my full armor, and sliding on the metal helm felt oddly comforting. I carried a short sword and dagger on my belt and a medium round shield. If I wanted to throw a spear, there would be pilums on the wall. All three of my bows were in my dimensional space as I was tasked with ferrying arrows to the real archers.

I looked over my small room for the last two weeks and felt I might not see it again. I left the room nice and tidy. Brutus, Mateo, and Felix waited for me. Everyone else had left. Brutus handed me a satchel, "Lirkin prepared everyone two days' rations and two canteens of lemon water." I checked to find two canteens and seven bundles wrapped with string, "One is your dinner. If we don't hurry, Adrian will send the Legion Hounds after us."

We made our way to Trader's Gate in the oppressive heat of the late day. To distract ourselves, we talked about our favorite foods. Mateo liked something that sounded like pulled chicken smoothed in a spicy, sweet sauce. Felix liked something akin to a corn tortilla with carmelized cheese on it. Brutus was happy with a dessert made from heavy cream and spirits. It needed to be made cold and served cold as the cream was whipped into a thick consistency. My favorite food, sadly enough, was fried chicken—with all 11 herbs and spices.

Adrian eagerly sent all four of us latecomers to the wall to take watch. My friends blamed me for having to spend the last two hours in the miserable heat of the day. As the sun set, it was like a switch had been flicked, and the air conditioning had been started. Almost immediately, wisps of fog began to rise from the fields separating the wall and the enemy encampment. As the temperature plummeted, the enemy was soon obscured by a thickening fog.

Adrian walked over to us, "Get down in the tower. The regulars are coming up now to man the walls. Do not get too comfortable. I have a feeling they are going to test us tonight." We could hear muted horns in the distant army as if Adrian were prophetic.