379 days until the Arkon Shield falls

I spent the next few minutes going over in exhaustive detail everything I’d seen and surmised since leaving the dungeon. I told the pair about my conversation with Bultak, Orgtul hunting me, and what I’d witnessed in the dead hamlet.

“Orcs,” Marcus muttered when I was done. “As if we didn’t have enough to deal with already.”

A frown marred the commander’s face. “So, it has begun,” she murmured.

I glanced at her sharply. “You were expecting this?”

Jolin shrugged. “It was inevitable that sooner or later our ‘Patrons’ would make their way to this part of the domain. I only wish we knew if they’ve discovered our location already and what forces they can bring to bear against us.”

“You have a plan then?” I asked, relieved.

“Nothing so definitive, but I do have some ideas…” The commander glanced at Marcus. “We will need to confirm Jamie’s sightings and discover the location of the orcs’ base.”

“I will send out a team,” the captain replied. His lips turned down. “But from what Jamie said, the orcs are out of our usual scouting range.”

“It can’t be helped,” Jolin said, her face expressionless. “The scouts will have to shoulder the risk of camping overnight in the wilds. Impress on them the importance of this mission.” She paused. “Increase the size of the teams and send out multiple parties. To make sure.”

Marcus swallowed unhappily, no doubt counting the cost of lost lives—Overworld’s wildlife was especially dangerous at night—but he didn’t argue. He glanced at me. “Will you accompany one of the teams?”

I shook my head. “I can’t. Or rather I shouldn’t.”

The captain glowered at me. “Why not?” he snapped.

I shifted under his gaze for a moment, then sighed. I hadn’t told anyone about the Feats I’d earned from slaying mum’s killers, but there was no reason to keep the information a secret and likely good reason for them to know. “When I killed the orcs back on Earth, I gained the Feat, Orcsbane, which amongst other things allows me to sense when orcs are close by. But the feat also warns them when I’m nearby.” I shook my head. “Trust me, you don’t want me on a covert mission against the orcs. I will likely only endanger the scouts if I accompany them.”

“You’re right. We don’t want you near the orcs right now,” Marcus said with a grimace. “Sorry for snapping at you. I should’ve realized you would have a good reason.”

I waved aside his apology, and he turned to the commander. “We’ll get it done.”

“Thank you,” Jolin replied gravely. “Once we know more about how the orcs are deployed in the region, we can plan our next move. In the meantime, I will reinforce our guard contingent in the warren.” She turned to me. “Is there anything else, Jamie?”

I nodded. “One more thing. This.” Removing the Doran’s Retreat core, I placed it on the table. “I’m not sure what to make of it or how we use it, but it seems important.”

The old lady picked up the core. “We keep finding these things. Maybe Lance will know what they are for,” she mused.

Marcus’ hand flashed out. “May I?” he asked abruptly, eyes fixed on the stone in the commander’s grasp.

Jolin looked at him curiously but didn’t question his sudden curtness as she handed over the core.

Head bent, the scout captain studied the disc-shaped object reverently. “This is a settlement core,” he breathed, his earlier unhappiness fading entirely in the face of his growing awe. He raised his head, eyes shining. “We don’t have to wait for Lance. I know what it’s for.”

I sat up attentively. “You do?” I asked in surprise.

Marcus nodded vigorously. “I had occasion to discuss the other cores you found—the creature champion ones—with Lance. He didn’t know anything about them, but—” the captain’s eyes flitted back to the settlement core—” he knew a great deal about these. They are, in fact, central to a faction’s expansion.” He fell silent, lost in contemplation over the disc in his hands.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Jolin said with an indulgent smile. “Spit it out. What purpose do the settlement cores serve?”

Marcus flushed at the commander’s admonishment. “They’re used to establish forts.”

I blinked, astonished.

Forts, I’d heard of. Like settlements, forts were not an arbitrary designation in the Trials. There were specific requirements that a defensive structure needed to fulfill before it could be considered a fort, and once it did, the structure provided a whole host of benefits.

“Are you sure?” I asked, slightly breathless at the possibilities. I’d known about forts, but I’d not known settlement cores were used to found them.

Marcus’ eyes glinted, sharing my excitement, his worry over his scouts entirely forgotten now. “I am. One of the primary objectives in any factional war is to capture the opposing side’s settlement cores. Once a core is captured, the settlement in question can be destroyed or even subverted to the enemy side. Destroying a settlement may sound counterproductive, especially considering the benefits they yield, but when factions do so, it is to gain possession of this.” He held up the core. “A fort’s strategic value cannot be underestimated.”

I nodded in wholehearted agreement.

Jolin had followed our exchange silently, but from the slight frown wrinkling her forehead, we’d lost her. “Would one of you care to explain? I get that the core is useful, but nothing in what either of you has just said explains the reason for all the excitement. What am I missing?”

I ducked my head sheepishly. “Sorry, Commander. Think of forts like mini settlements. They come with a host of their own advantages—mostly related to defense—and while all are important, there is one particular fort trait that is especially relevant to us right now.” I paused to make sure she didn’t miss the significance of what I said next. “With a fort, we can expand the territory under the faction’s control.”

“Ordinarily, this wouldn’t matter much on its own,” Marcus continued, “but with the Arkon Shield enforcing our territorial rights, we can use the fort to push the orcs back!”

The commander pursed her lips. “I understand the fort’s value now… but given that, I’m surprised the orcs left the core behind.”

Marcus frowned. “I didn’t think of that. You’re right, ma’am. They should have taken it.”

“I don’t think they could have,” I said.

The pair looked at me inquiringly.

“Remember, the Arkon Shield prevents even our Patrons from exploiting the Dominion’s resources,” I said. “And the core is a resource.”

“Hmm. That’s as good an explanation as any,” Jolin said.

I pointed to the settlement core. “The question now, though, is where do we locate our new fort?”

Marcus’ eyes gleamed. “In the north. A fort at our new mine will prevent the orcs from disrupting our ore supply, which is critical if we want to keep growing.”

“Perhaps,” I said, rubbing my chin. “But while metal will be useful, trained players are more important, and for that, we need the Primal Keep. Establishing the fort in the green dungeon’s valley is a better option.”

Marcus frowned. “What good will—”

“No,” Jolin said, shaking her head.

We both turned her way.

“No?” Marcus asked.

“Your suggestions are both good ones, but they are overly cautious. We need to be bolder.”

I exchanged a startled glance with Marcus. No one had ever accused me of being too cautious before. “What did you have in mind?” I asked carefully.

Jolin drew a dagger and scratched an ‘x’ into the tabletop. “Sierra is here.” Her hand moved upwards to carve another mark. “The spider warren is here and—” her hand shifted further up—“the mines are here, in the northwestern corner of the Human Dominion, correct?”

Marcus nodded.

Jolin’s dagger carved another ‘x’ to the right of the warren. “The Primal Keep is here. East of the mines and near the domain’s northern border.”

She looked at me, and I bobbed my head in confirmation.

“There are two things wrong with your proposed sites,” the commander said. “First, they are both located in the mountains, in an environment that is hostile and barren. Except for the lair, mine, and dungeon, there is nothing else of worth in the area. Agreed?”

“Nothing that we’ve found yet,” I allowed.

Jolin inclined her head. “A valid qualification, but it doesn’t deter from my argument. Now, to my second point.” The commander drew two perpendicular lines on the table to border her close grouping of marks. “The other reason why your proposed sites are a poor choice is that they are too close to the northwestern border of the Dominion and consequently provide limited scope for growth. Expanding further north or west is not possible.” Jolin stabbed her dagger down into the table in the blank void of space to Sierra’s right. “Here is where we must build the fort.”

My brows furrowed as I followed the commander’s reasoning. By the dimensions of her carved-out map, the old lady was suggesting we establish the fort in the forest to the village’s east.

I scratched my head in confusion. At first glance, I couldn’t see any benefit to placing the fort there. In fact, I found myself wondering if the commander could have chosen a less suitable location.

I didn’t doubt Jolin would have made for a shrewd tactician back on Earth, but I wasn’t sure she understood enough of the Trials mechanics to be able to duplicate the feat on Overworld.

I was pondering how to phrase this delicately when by chance, I caught the look on Jolin’s face. A small smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth as she watched me.

Huh. Now, why does she look so amused?

The commander’s expression reminded me that the old lady was too astute a leader for me to dismiss her words lightly—on any subject. Feeling like a particularly dense student, I turned my gaze downwards to study the crude map drawn on the table again.

“The red dungeon is there,” I said slowly, thinking out aloud. “The forest is also teeming with life and largely unexplored.” I paused. “There may be other yet undiscovered resources in it too.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the old lady nod faintly. I grinned. I was on the right path, it seemed.

“The forest also contains our most valuable and abundant resource—wood,” Marcus added. “Without it, we’d be without shelter and fortifications.”

He, too, was frowning hard at the table, I noticed.

“And now that the murluk attacks have stopped,” Marcus went on, “the forest has become our most volatile border as well.”

Finally catching up with the commander’s logic, I continued with more enthusiasm. “And of course, a fort to the east will let us expand deeper into the Dominion, in any one of three directions: east, north, and south.”

“And we can even establish a permanent logging camp at the fort,” Marcus said, beginning to sound excited again. “Then our lumberjacks won’t need to waste half the day traveling to and fro from Sierra every day.”

The commander’s smile widened. “Well done,” she said gently. “Now, you see.” Her face grew serious. “The orcs dumped us in this world, ignorant, without resources, fully expecting us to fail and with naught to show after our year is up. But their hand is played already.

“Now it is our turn. In Sierra, we’ve built a solid foundation. But we cannot stop there. We must grow gentlemen, not slow and sure, but swift and aggressively, claiming as much territory as we can. Now is not the time for timidity. Now, we must be bold.”

Jolin fell silent, and her gaze flitted from Marcus to me. “Do you understand?” she asked softly.

I jerked my head in agreement. What the old lady proposed made sense. Until our year was up, there was no need for defense, only growth.

“Then are we in agreement?” Jolin asked.

I nodded again, and Marcus did so as well a moment later.

“Good, then explain the mechanics of setting up a fort to me so we can decide how to outfit the expedition to establish it.”