I woke early the next morning, dressed, ate a meal in my room, and headed to the same map room from the day prior. We agreed to begin the discussion of our travel route at sunrise.
Once that was decided, the next four days would be spent on preparation. Everyone was prompt, taking the mission seriously. And why wouldn't they, even after an entire night, I couldn't decide if the dragon or the route to the dragon was more deadly?
“Realistically, we have two choices; the route through the Gracian mountains would take far too long, though it would be preferable without the time limit,” Lindra said. She had long hair, tied in a braid all the way down to her waist. Apparently, she was Caan’s sister. The other northwoman, Nara, was Caan's wife, or as the Andregi called it, Bonded.
Caan nodded in agreement, “Difficult terrain; too much for little southerners. Not to mention rival clans.”
Morah spoke, his voice lacking its usual mockery, “So, the only real question is, do we travel through 750 miles of barren land, with poisoned water and massive pools of boiling tar. Or the Dalianar forest, home to murderous dryads who’ve killed, how many in that war?”
“100,000, though it's a shorter journey. The route through the Tar flats would take what? Two weeks,” I stated.
Norah added, “Less for the initial journey, we take horses, push them until they die, then eat them.”
‘Brutal but effective.’’
“How much time would that save?” Korin asked, seemingly displeased by Norah's suggestion.
Orian answered, “Depends on the horse, but worst-case scenario…five days.”
Nara asked with some annoyance, “If all the water is poisoned, how do we survive?”
I answered, “That, I believe, is my role. In fact, this was probably the reason I was recruited. The storm peaks can become as cold as the deep winter.”
Morah chuckled, “So, you’re to keep us all from dying, Aye.” He smiled, “Should I really trust the maiden to keep me alive on a mountain?”
He was joking, but everyone knew my story. I had to admit, even I would have been cautious around someone known for murdering two women on a hill. I erred on the side of truth.
“Yes, I, like everyone else, want that reward. Against bandit, Bears, the dragon, or whatever lives in the Tar Flats, you will be an effective meat-shield. I intend to keep you alive to serve your purpose.” I said with all seriousness.
Lindra burst out laughing, “You are right, Caan, the blood is strong.” Both Caan and his bonded smiled and nodded in agreement. Lindra was grinning at me with such excitement, I was unsure if she wanted to fight or bed me.
‘I’ll figure that out later.’
“Anier, spare me from my love of dangerous women,” Morah joked.
“May we return to the task at hand?” Korin asked, annoyed. The knight was clearly not a woman of humor. “If we want to make haste, we need fuel. Water isn't enough. How long would our rations last with a fast march? Standard army speed.”
Norah and Morah contemplated, then Morah spoke, “To keep up that pace, and considering the Sava-Andregi, our supplies, and the distance. Just enough to get through the flats, but we'll be hungry after that.”
‘Previous military experience, I see.’
“We are excellent hunters, ” Narah bragged. “What is the local game of the storm peaks?”
Orian answered, “Large deer, wolves, cave bears, mountain lions. It has been untouched by human influence for many centuries, while game will be sparse, it won't pose a problem for a skilled hunter.” He pointed to a mountain a hundred miles from the shore, “The dragon rests near the peak of one of the taller mountains. Before we continue, you have to decide, Dalianar Forest of Tar flats?”
The room was silent for long moments. “There was only ever one choice,” I stated.
Orian smiled, “Tar Flats, it is.”
~
We ended the planning meeting for a midday meal, but I, however, took my meal by the energy furnace. It was the same design as Darion's Dish, located near the rear of a stone building. There was plenty of fuel, ingots of gold, steel, and even platinum. Whoever arranged this was sparing no expense.
In the center of the room was a platinum and gold transformation circle, six feet wide and standing on steel supports. The runes and circle were made of gold, while the rest consisted of platinum.
“Platinum resists primal energy. Why use it like this?” I asked no one.
I grabbed one of the crucibles in the corner, dropped in an ingot of iron, and carved an arcane circle to heat metal into the stone. Then, I created a double binding between the energy forge and the input of my reservoir, and from the output to the shape transformation circle.
I grinned as the floating orb of metal warped and shifted to match my animus. Every time massive amounts of energy would be needed to shape the metal, my reservoir would provide. The energy furnace simply wasn't large enough to provide large amounts of instantaneous energy.
‘This transformation circle is impressively efficient. Perhaps the platinum prevents leakage through some form of insulation.’
And just like that, I decided to remake every one of my tools. I had just enough platinum.
~
After finishing the new energy reservoir arcane circle, I heated the orichalcum and used shape transformation to turn it into a small disk. The metal was incredibly resilient and needed an absurdly high amount of heat to melt.
Without a stamp, I had to use a chisel to hammer each rune into the amulet. It took over two hours. I even utilized the back of the amulet for the dragon’s breath circuit. Right now, the amulet sat around my neck fully charged. Based on the energy flowing into it from the energy furnace, the leakage dropped by a third.
The door behind me opened, and heavy footsteps walked inside. I knew who they were, but I was making a new heat absorption ring using the last of the platinum and had to focus.
The Andregi stopped as molten platinum raised itself out of the crucible and morphed into a foot-wide ring.
“By the stars,” Caan gasped.
“I assume Andregi aren't used to magic,” I stated.
“No, no, we are not,” Lindra said, staring at the glowing metal.
“Been asking the servants about you. Looks like you are famous.” Caan said.
“Or infamous, depending on your perspective.” After the ring solidified, I dropped it to the ground.
“What in particular do you want for me?”
“Answers,” said Lindra.
“You assume I’m willing to give them.” I sighed melodramatically, “You are more than willing to ask, but I cannot promise I will answer.”
Caan grumbled something under his breath, but then Nara asked, “You are not pure Andregi.”
I smirked at her, “Clearly.”
“Who is your Andregi parent?”
“That, I do not know, for he did not remain after my birth.” I continued speaking since I wanted answers, “The current theory is that he raped my mother, leaving her with a child.”
All three look offended by the suggestion. “No, no northerner would stoop so low. ”
Nara nodded along, “If that was the case, you would be obligated to hunt him down and kill him.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Another one of your customs?”
All three nodded.
I shrugged, “Perhaps you are correct, and he just seduced her while her husband was away. Either way, it matters little to me.” I caught Lindra’s eyes, “Let me ask you a question, why exactly would a northerner be so far south. You three are the first I have ever seen, and I've traveled all across the empire.”
Their eyes went cold, remaining silent as I worked on the new energy ring. I was content to wait for them to get past their contemplation.
“Exile, for cowardice, probably. A man who commits a crime, cowardice, child murder, rape, and such, or worse, refuses the call to battle.”
I laughed with a bit of mockery, “Yet you hesitate to believe my mother was raped.”
Caan shook his head, “It places a curse on your line. It is a strong taboo among us. But yes, that could have happened.” He forced out.
“It matters little. I will learn in time.” Then I realized Caan said something familiar, “You said the act curses your line. Do you know we have a similar belief?”
“Explain?” Kindra asked, showing interest.
“Thrice cursed we call children born of rape. Curse for adultery, curse for lust, curse from the crime itself.” I mused.
Nara blinked, “It is similar.”
‘Is there any more proof I needed that religious dogma is just an evolution of barbaric and outdated superstition? After all, though the Andregi are far removed from the empire we all spawned from Flaketh and her first voyage. It's all one story told a thousand different ways with infinite interpretations.’
“This is why the child hunts down the father; this cleanses the curse?” I asked them.
“Yes,” Caan said. “Not many clans exile. Most criminals choose death in battle; only cowards head south.”
“That means I could search for the origins of my father, maybe even find cousins and aunts.” I mused.
Nara nodded, “Aye, you can return to your people. And you bring magic, something that no other Andregi possesses. The clans will fight against it, but power is power.”
Caan grimaced, “Magic is a coward's way to fight. Axe and bone is the true calling.”
‘Savages.’
“How did you gain this power? Are the stories true?” Kindra asked.
“What have you heard?”
~
Kindra spent a minute quickly summarising everything she heard from the servants. I smiled with humour the entire time.
“It's all fiction, the tales that paint me as a killer without mercy or remorse are closer to the truth. ” I stated. I finished the set of circuits for heat absorption on the new platinum ring.
“You have little honor,” Caan said.
I laughed in his face, “Honor is only useful to the dead.” I nodded to the door, “Come, I plan on testing some magic, care to see what a lack of honor has rewarded me with?”
~
After a quick conversation with Orian, we were able to walk outside the village under guard. He understood that I needed open space, so I didn't accidentally burn down the village.
I started with a single binding, connecting the dragon’s breath to my amulet. Both were made from platinum and gold.
I held the amulet forward and pushed the single binding to its maximum. A massive wave of bright yellow and blue fire, 26 feet long, exploded from the gem, glowing brighter than the sun. It took all my strength to control the force of the flame. I held it for ten seconds, then stopped.
‘Excellent, not quite stone power, the efficiency is great, that my My animus was now the limiting factor.’
I took a deep breath and created a double binding, took a knee, and braced myself. Then I pushed the double binding to the very limit of my animus.
The fifty-foot stream of fire was blinding, and even though I was pushing a massive amount of air away from me, I still felt the heat. After ten seconds, my amulet was empty, and I was fueling the circuit from purely the energy furnace, which could only create a ten-foot flame. I released the binding, allowing my amulet to recharge.
I smiled at the Northerners. “That is real power. With all your muscle and combat prowess, do you have even the slightest hope against me?” I gestured to the wide swath of grass, which was burned to a blackened ruin, and the earth that glowed red and yellow in certain places.
Kindra stared at me with intense eyes. Caan was stern, but I noted an undercurrent of fear. Nara had a gleam in her eye.
“Why do you have this power? What do you plan on doing with it?” Caan asked.
“I did have a reason, but now I want power just to have it.”
Nara seemed disappointed. “That’s it? There is so much you can do with it. You could find your own clan or…” I raised a hand to stop the line of thinking.
“I've heard this before, and no, I have no such intention. People tend to fool themselves into thinking power is supposed to have a purpose. But power is self-justifying, self-propagating, and self-serving. It doesn't need a purpose or meaning. It’s like fire that only desires to consume and burn ever brighter.”
Caan actually looked at me with pity, “That’s not how someone should live. What of family, clan, you’re people?”
I shook my head and walked away, “They do not matter. Power is the end and the means; there is nothing else.”
Nara looked at me with puzzlement, “Death is the natural order; family, friends, and the memories you make with others will be all that remains.”
I didn't respond; I was lost in my thoughts.
‘Death is the end of all things. Irrefutable and unchanging, but why is this? Why should I have to die? Enchantment can change nature itself. Stone, iron, water; runes can change anything. Why exactly can’t it change a person? Is there a set of runes that defines me? If a rune can define a thing, runes can transform a thing. Is the human life cycle unchanging? Can it be defined in runes the same way thermal conductivity can? If so, can this be transformed?’
~
We stood around the table once again, planning our route. There were two things primarily I would have to account for: water, heat, and light. My job was to keep them alive and healthy enough to deal with the dragon. And be healthy enough to make the trek back. I had a few more magical items to make to ensure the journey progresses with greater ease.
“Now that the route is finalized, the only thing for you all to do is prepare. I recommend you eat well and pack light. Restock at this village,” Orian pointed to a village just on the outskirts of the Tar Flats. “I will travel with you and remain there. Your rewards will be waiting for you after the delivery of the stone.”
We all nodded in understanding.
~
I didn't want to spend the entire time constantly managing bindings, so I spent hours creating magical tool, after magical tool, using everything I knew to make them function without my input. Magical lights, cookpots, warmers, water generators. Eight medallions with simple circuits to heat air and absorb heat.
On the final day, I worked with Morah to ensure his weapon worked. It was a version of the metal crossbow with the explosive bolts. It needed a large source of energy to operate. I would have to provide the binding to push the bolt and fuel the explosion. It wasn't a proper explosion; it actually created a soundwave, or more precisely, a shockwave powerful enough to destroy everything around it.
Since the circuit on the tip of the bolt was so small, it needed a massive amount of energy to fuel itself. The tip of the bolt was collapsible; it would complete the circuit once enough force was applied. The crossbow used a circuit that acted like a switch to activate everything else.
There were even tubes on the side of the crossbow that pushed a massive amount of air forward to negate the recoil.
‘I’ll have to test these circuits later.’
“Why can’t you look at me like that?” Morah complained.
“Your face gives me a migraine,” I said absent-mindedly, as I wrote down the runes for each new arcane formula.
I thought of the scroll hidden in my pack and decided to write it all down. I still couldn't decipher the thing, but I made an effort to look at it for an hour before sleeping.
“So, what is your reward?” Morah asked. ”I’m guessing it’s some magical item, that's all you magi really care about.”
“What of yours? You're a murderer; perhaps you want a pardon for your crimes.” I mused as I examined the bow of the crossbow.
“Matricide, fratricide, infanticide, kidnapping, rape, and even sold a few people into slavery, I’ve done practically everything. Twenty-two murders in total,” He said as if bragging, though I believed it was some kind of intimidation tactic.
‘I imagine if I were any kind of normal, the man would repulse me.’
“You still keep count?” I looked at him as if he were a particularly incompetent child. “Once you start killing people by the dozens, it becomes impossible.”
He clapped, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to himself, “I knew she would be fun.”
”Do you know the one they really want to hang me for?” He asked.
“Tax evasion?” I asked seriously.
Morah started laughing, “Damn close, actually.” He said between deep belly laughs, ” I murdered a tax collector, had fun with the wife and daughter. Morah seemed lost in thought for a moment and muttered to himself, “Screamers always cause headaches.” Then he re-focused back on me. “Can you believe the only thing on my bounty is the theft of the Baron’s taxes?”
“Considering the nobility I’ve dealt with, it's not surprising. Peasant life isn't really worth much.” I mused.
‘How does this pulley work?’
Morah was silent for a full minute before he spoke again. “You know I’ve told that story to many people, most try to kill me after or try to get the law.”
‘Where is he going with this line of questioning?’
“We have a job to do; your crimes are of little interest to me.”
“What about after?” He asked
“Then we go our separate ways. If you try to follow me, I'll kill you and forget you ever existed before your corpse cools.” I finally removed my gaze from the crossbow. “If you want a rise out of someone, I suggest the knight or the savages.”
He dragged a finger across his throat, “The Lady knight might try to kill me.” Morah grinned in what I assumed to be a seductive smile, but he looked like he was constipated. “Surely you’ll keep me safe.”
I looked at the crossbow, “How good is your brother compared to you?” He raised an eyebrow. “Decent enough, but not quite at my level of skill.”
“I suppose I’ll have to keep you safe, but after the dragon dies, well, I couldn't care less. So feel free to be candid with your past if you desire.”
“No, that knight is a bit too high-strung,” He wiggled his eyebrows disturbingly. I’ve never been so unattracted to another human since my betrothed. “You won't tell, will you?”
“My indifference will secure your secrets.” I stood and turned to leave.
“You are the woman for me, Myr. My door is always open.” He shouted as I walked away.
‘What an annoying fellow, I'll probably kill him at some point. But he doesn't matter, the preparations are almost finished, then we begin this quest.’
I chuckled to myself.
‘I’m off to slay a dragon, how amusing.’