Dwarves swarmed around the ballistas as they emerged from the portal. Their stubby hands ran along the wood frame and rotten ropes, muttering to themselves in hushed whispers. Every so often one would speak louder, the others would agree, much to the first’s embarrassment.

"It's like children discovering sweets for the first time." Anton said. "Perhaps children with a new toy."

“That is a harsh way to put it.” Umikgruid chuckled. “But it is true. These are old, definitely, but they’ve been made very well. Very well. Especially after you healed them.”

Anton smiled. “An odd way to put it. Where do you think these should be put? Obviously I don’t think they’re going to work well underground...Well, actually, now that I think about it-”

“Where are you going to run when a giant bolt is flying at you inside a tunnel?” Umikgruid pointed to the building site of the Sovereign Palace. “But I think that’s the best place to put them. Somewhere high-”

“How high is that thing supposed to get, exactly?” Anton asked.

Before Umikgruid could reply Anton caught something moving through the busy crows. Kal, wearing a thick cloak, walked towards him.

“Did you find all of these inside that Dwarven outpost?” Kal asked as she came to his side. She kissed his cheek and wrapped his arm around hers. “Was it actually a fortress?”

“An outpost…” Anton frowned softly. “But not everything we found in there was good.”

Kal nodded once. “Tell me later. Now, where are these things going?”

“On top of the Sovereign Palace.” Umikgruid continued. “From there they will have a great vantage point, able to hit anything attacking from above and for quite some distance on the ground.”

“The sky?” Rasha looked up. She shielded her eyes from the falling snow with her hand. “I haven’t seen anything up there but birds.”

“I’ve never seen anything but birds and bats at night.” Kal looked up as well. “Are you saying there is something up there?”

Umikgruid smiled devilishly. “Of course! There are many beasts that soar through the sky.”

Anton saw a nearby Dwarf roll his eyes at Umikgruid’s words. Anton was still not going to dismiss his words. After all, if his visions had been dismissed as the ravings of a lunatic they wouldn’t have a new hold and a future away from oppression. The other Dwarf had a similar thought and returned to work.

“For one, your tamed Chiroks.” Umikgruid pointed to the sky. “Do you think those giant wolves swim? Of course no. They fly. They could be flying over us right now and you wouldn’t know.”

“If they fly above the clouds we wouldn’t know until they’re right on top of us.” Anton said. “We did see Griffons in Graterious, and Luna’s dead mother. But what about something bigger. Much bigger. Like a Dragon?”

“It’s in your name.” Cetina folded her arms. She shook lightly and shrugged off the snow accumulating on her shoulders. “Is that what happened to your island in the Dwarven Isles? Your clan hunted too many Dragons and they attacked it?”

“I…” Umikgruid gently rubbed his impressive beard. “I don’t know. I think we might have. But I’ve never heard anything like that from our elders. It might have been true, but...How would Dwarves hunt…”

Umikgruid nodded towards the large Ballista’s, answering his own question.

“I would like to see one.” Anton brushed a hand against his tail. “A real Dragon. Not whatever is hanging above that pit. I wonder if they’re intelligent enough to talk? Mezot might have permission to see them. She is a Master of the Royal Academy.”

Cetina smiled. “Hopefully they don’t think she wants to experiment with them. Testing her Ice and Water Magic on them.”

“I imagine she’ll be nothing more than a cinder.” Anton shook his head. “But did you want something special, Kal? I thought you were still at home with Verona?”

“She’s still there.” Kal smiled. “Right now she’s playing with Luna...So I had some time free. I was actually thinking about Qaiviel, I saw Dana riding past, nothing bad’s happening, but the horses reminded me of your land.”

“Yes…I haven’t done much with it, have I?”

“Nothing, actually.” Kal said. “We’ve been focusing on other things. These weapons, for one.” Kal nodded to the Ballista’s. “They look very impressive.”

“We’ve got some designs for the bolts.” Umikgruid said. “Some better ones. But...We still need more things from The Dwarven Isles.”

“Just give me the list first and then I’ll approve it.” Anton took a deep breath. “How much more do you think we can buy before the other Clans start to get suspicious?”

“If I’m honest, I think they already know something is happening.” Umikgruid watched as the Dwarves began to push the Ballista’s away. “They did try and find out that time you were there. Nothing since then but it’s only a matter of time. Right now I’m sure they’re enjoying the money they’re getting.”

Umikgruid snapped his stubby fingers. “That’s another thing. We’ve almost got Balefire Mine working. I know you probably wanted the silver mine up and running as soon as possible, but we needed to get our own hold sorted first.”

“We’ve still got quite a bit of money.” Anton said. “How much longer before we can start to see some silver bars come out of there?”

“Couple of days at most. I can’t guarantee the amount but the quality will be extremely high.”

“And that door?”

Umikgruid frowned. “We’ve run into a bit of trouble with it. Honestly...It’s a real pain. Whomever built it designed it to never be opened. We keep discovering more locks and traps woven into the structure, not even the Blood Hammer vault had this many. Some even thought about digging around it but the stone there is reinforced with magic from the door.”

Umikgruid shook his head. “We’d have to go at least half a mile to get around it.”

“How much Earth Mana is this thing using?”

“Not much.” Umikgruid smirked. “Dwarven technology. But the easiest way is to just go through the door. We are making progress, it’s just slow and difficult.”

“Keep me appraised of everything that’s happening. And definitely don’t open it until we’re all there.”

“Of course.” Umikgruid motioned for Anton to lean down. “That project of yours is coming along far better. Most of the components have been successfully replicated. We’re experimenting with these so-called ‘bullets’, given the vague designs you could give us, but it is going extremely well. Considering it’s an artefact of a style I have never seen before.”

“Again, keep me informed of all progress.” Anton rose up. “But do not let just anyone into that room. They are going to be vital to Atros’s survival and strength in the wider world. Especially when…” Anton looked at Kal and Rasha. “People come looking for their slaves.”

“Seocuria does have large armies.” Kal said. Rasha glumly agreed.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Umikgruid nodded towards the disappearing Ballista’s. “If they aren’t constantly supervised they’ll probably start disassembling them or even start pushing them towards the mountain. Who knows?”

Maybe they are just like children.

Umikgruid gave a final wave and raced after the disappearing Dwarves. Anton heard a few shouts but the Dwarves followed Umikgruid’s orders all the same. They began to travel towards the north, to where the foundations of the Sovereign Palace were starting to rise above the first story of homes and buildings.

“I don’t think we had anything else planned for today.” Anton shrugged. “So I suppose that it’s a good idea to at least have a look at this place.”

“The nearest portal is in The Red Spines.” Kal looked to the west. “But it’s still a long ride, through the snow and Qaiviel. We don’t know much about the south, like how many bandits and raiders are there.”

“I have a better idea.” Anton nodded towards the sky.

“Really?” Cetina raised a brow.

“It’s time to let the Chiroks stretch their wings a little.”

---[]---

Anton arrived at the Red Spines through the portal. The air was far drier than Atros, with a hint of iron permeating every breath, but it was considerably warmer. Like a small fire constantly burned in the corner. However it could have been the room he currently stood in; a rarely used and somewhat cluttered storage room, the white light from the portal was the only source of light. At one side Anton saw a red stone wall. He had not seen where the Orcs had placed the portal after they left, only that it was functioning on their end.

"How high are we? And what are they going to say when I try and bring a harnessed Chirok through? Probably think I'm crazier than a human waltzing around Orc territory."

Anton carefully stepped around the rough piles of disused mining and building equipment, why the Orcs had not destroyed or recycled them he did not know. The door was unlocked and unbarred. He gently pushed it open, just a crack to see through. He was very high, not quite the top of the Orc settlement but not far off. No matter where he looked he saw the Orcs of the Red Spines living their lives, carrying building materials and equipment ever higher up the sheer cliff face of the Red Spines, far down below were the hunters and butchers, normal Orcs brought in freshly killed game while the Thralls helped them to properly butcher the animal with their more delicate fingers and movements.

But is it natural or the result of someone meddling with the Orcs? Maybe the Orcs ancestors did this to aid them. You'd think they'd have made a note of it somewhere...Haven’t seen many libraries. And if it’s oral traditions then it would be very easy to lose or corrupt.

Anton pushed the door open. The old wood creaked, eliciting a startled noise from a nearby Orc. The large green humanoid stepped back, levelled his spear at the door as Anton pushed it fully open. For a moment his thick, black brows furrowed. It softened when he realized who it was.

“Oh. Right, it’s you.” He lowered the spear. “The human. How…Right. What do you want? I mean, how can I help you?”

“Hello.” Anton smiled and stepped into the light. He heard noises from Orcs from the levels above and below. He drew immense attention, if for nothing more than his different coloured skin. “Actually, I wanted to bring a mount through. I need to get to Hardheim very quickly.”

“Sure…” The Orc shrugged. “I guess. I’ve been told to help you however I can.” The Orc yawned, covering his under bite jaw with his large hand. “And if I don’t have to do anything then that’s great.”

“Great. I need to move the portal out here, since it’s kind of big.”

“We’re pretty high up.” The Orc pointed over the edge. Anton was a little concerned there were no railings this high up in the city. “Do you want to go down first? It might be easier than bringing a horse down these steps.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Anton returned to the room and retrieved the portal. The Orc did not help, instead he moved back to the side of the storage room and rested against it. By the time Anton returned with the stones he had almost dozed off.

Anton held the stones in a bag but needed a bigger area to safely bring the Chiroks through. The previous times the large beasts had jumped and pranced about after coming through, along with a slight whimper as they pawed at their heads, and there was every chance they would fall down.

“Actually, heading down might be best.” Anton said. “Once I’m done I’ll need you to bring them back up.”

The Orc nearly rolled his eyes after he looked down. It was a fair distance, but according to his own words he wasn’t doing anything else other than guarding the old storage room.

“Alright.” The Orc pulled himself off the wall. “Let’s get going then.”

They began to walk down the wooden stairs. Anton felt rather nervous to be so high, even though he had little problem when riding the Chiroks. It must have been something to do with the lack of railings so high up. There were still railings, but they weren’t complete.

“Aren’t you afraid that someone will fall down?” Anton asked. He kept as close to the red stone wall as possible. “There’s no way an Orc could survive a fall like that?”

“Hmm? Oh.” The Orc nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve never heard of anyone falling to their deaths before.”

“Really?”

The Orc shrugged. “Never been a problem. Only for the smaller humans, like yourself, that ever has an issue.”

As the descent would be long, the wooden pathways twisted their way back and forth along the surface, Anton decided to strike up some kind of conversation, if only to make the journey pass faster.

“How is everything going in the Red Spines?” Anton asked. They passed a group of young Orcs bringing up building supplies, they muttered to themselves and looked intently at Anton, quite possibly the first human they’d seen and able to walk freely amongst their homes. “The winter doesn’t seem so bad here. No snow, but it is a lot colder than it was when I last came here.”

“Everything is fine, I suppose.” The Orc shrugged. “We have everything we need and can trade for what we can’t make with Qaiviel. Nothing has changed, for as long as I’ve lived.”

“Your entire city could have been destroyed after the civil war in Qaiviel.” Anton’s words elicited a confused look. “Harold and The Church of The Holy Father do not like Orcs, alongside a many other things.”

The Orc scoffed. “We have never been attacked. Our lands are safe from any threat.”

“What about twenty thousand knights?”

The Orc opened his mouth but did not reply. The Orcs had a good defensive position but they were nowhere near strong enough to fend off that many attackers. Their walls were made from wood and although they could pick off attackers travelling through the swamps and marshes it would not be enough against the full might of Qaiviel. Not to mention the Stitch Soldiers would simply just crash their way through any defences. Anton was glad they hadn’t encountered any more since Harold’s defeat. He shuddered remembering what that man, and his mother, had transformed into.

“And Lazgar? How are they settling in?”

“Good.” The Orc smiled. “There were a few of us, at first, didn’t want them here. Thought they might bring us into conflict with the Orc Clans to the north. We don’t have anything to do with them and we like it that way. Lazgar’s got a lot of clever ideas and we’re already seeing the benefits of it.”

He pointed to a large platform on the opposite side of the cliffs. Thralls, the first born Orcs, always destined to be eunuchs and very slim, worked on pieces of weapons and armour, worked on large swaths of old equipment, refurbishing armour and repairing damaged arrows with their delicate hands.

“They always helped but Lazgar suggested that we have them help with more things. They’re not bad…” The Orc sighed. “Just a shame that they’re all born like that.”

“No word about Lazgar wanting to return to the north?”

“Nothing.” The Orc grunted. “And for his sake, and his family they do not.”

Anton did not wish to push the subject further and decided to drop the conversation. Anton spent the rest of the journey asking about the city, simple things but it passed the time. As they reached the lower levels the warrior Orcs, those wearing a mixture of camouflage and light armour, surrounded them. Anton didn’t budge or back down, Orcs had no immunity to Fire or Lightning Magic. The Orc quickly explained what was happening and they quickly realised their mistake. Some even laughed as they returned to their previous duties.

“See?” The Orc laughed. “We’re not too bad.”

“I never thought you were.”

Anton spied some Orcs that he recognised at the rear of the city. One was Lazgar’s brother, who had grievously wounded during their flight from the north, training with the Red Spine Orcs. He was proving to be quite an obstacle. Four Orcs were required to bring him down.

“This is a good spot.” The Orc motioned to a large open area. “How big is the horse you're bringing through?”

“It’s not a horse.” Anton smiled as he began laying out the portal stones. “Something a lot more interesting.”

The Orc merely stepped back a few paces as the white portal flashed into being. Anton stepped back too as he waited for the Chiroks to come through. After a few moments the portal flashed and two Chiroks burst free. The large wolf creatures leapt towards Anton with their mouths wide open, a large wet tongue hanging out as they ran towards him. The Orc shouted in surprise as the Chiroks leapt onto Anton and began to furiously lick his face.

“I’ve missed you two, too.” Anton vigorously rubbed their large heads. “How’s that? Do you like that?”

“You’ve tamed Chiroks?” The Orc’s mouth hung agape. “H-How? Those creatures will attack anyone that tries to get close to them.”

“I helped their pups.” Anton had to forcefully push their head backs. The Chiroks understood that their playtime was over and back away slightly, still within easy petting distance. “After that they became a lot more friendly.”

Anton gave their snouts a small scratch. “Do you see them flying near the Red Spines?”

“During the summer.” The Orc pointed to the north. “I’m pretty sure they come here to find a mate. Well, the young ones do.”

“I see…” Anton looked around. Before the Orcs had regarded him with curiosity, now in a mixture of fear and respect. Every so often a group of Orcs would arrive with their weapons ready to strike, they were quickly stopped so they didn’t upset the large and seemingly tamed beasts. “We might need to head there and see if we can get some more.”

We need someone with Flhodier’s blessing to speak with them properly. We haven’t had any more Glyphs emerge lately. Is it really that rare? Even though we have thousands of new people we’ve got none...I’ll ask them for guidance once we’re done with Qaiviel.

“It’ll take too long before their pups are able to fly.”

“They have children as well?” The Orc shook his head. “This...This isn’t what I was expecting when they told me to guard that room. I thought it would be boring and easy.”

“It is easy.” Anton moved to the male Chirok and checked the harness. “All you need to do is return the stones when I’m done. It’s that simple.”

When Anton was satisfied the straps and harnesses were strong enough he tapped the side of the Chirok and it laid down.

“Are there any other creatures that live nearby?” Anton asked. “Not ones that live in the Wood Elf forest. We can’t go there without starting a war.”

“You’ve angered the Wood Elven Goddess?”

“So long as we don’t trespass on her lands there won’t be a problem.” Anton smiled. “Thankfully there are all those stone markers…”

The Ancient Listeners. Why did they have stone markers? It’s...No. That would be silly. Anyone can have a giant stone rammed into the ground.

“Is there anything else like these things?” Anton gently stroked the males neck.

“The hunters would have a better idea.” The Orc looked around. He found a nearby Orc, dressed in mud and foliage camouflage and equipped with many large javelins on his back. “Yes! You. Come here for a bit. The strange human wants to know something.”

I’m...To these Orcs I’m probably the strangest thing that’s ever happened to them. And...And the same could be said for every city and every village that we pass through.

The Orc hunter looked very nervous as he approached them. His hand tried to reach for the javelins, his massive muscles rippling with tension and fear, but he held himself together. It helped that the Chiroks looked like big, happy dogs right now, not whatever state they found them in the wild.

“What’s the problem?” The Orc kept the Chirok’s in his sight.

“The Human wants to know what sort of creatures live around here.” The Orc clicked his tongue. It too was large and sounded extremely loud. “So he can tame them, like these two.”

“I’d love to know how you did it.” The hunter Orc scratched his head. “But there are Chiroks, quite a few, who make their nests in the upper cliffs and mountains. It’ll be difficult to get there. And I’m sure they wouldn’t like intruders into their nests and mating areas. But things for things that might be tameable, there are the Giradaud and the Bleopletu. Giradaud are these giant goats, essentially. They have three horns, two in curls and one pointing straight out.”

“I think I know how they fight.”

“Yes. I’ve heard of Orcs taming some before but not recently.” The Orc Hunter shrugged. “I don’t really see why you would. The other is a smaller type of Griffon. They’re about thee same size as a large dog, but dogs don’t have a beak for ripping through flesh.”

“Indeed they don’t.” Anton nodded slowly. “Do they come to breed here as well?”

“I think so. They and the Chiroks tend not to get along but they stay out of each others way. Bleopletu tend to hunt fish and smaller animals and Chiroks...I think you know how much they need.”

“They are big eaters.” Anton scratched the neck of his mount. “I think we’ll come back and see what we can do. Maybe there’s a way to get some without having to kill their parents and raise their young.”

“That is the easiest way.” The Orc Hunter looked a little confused. “Isn’t that what you did to get them?”

Right. My ethics from Earth are entirely different to this worlds. Hell, most people on Earth squirm at the sight of blood, let alone gutting a dead animal. I won’t deny that collecting the babies from their slain parents isn’t a good feeling.

“Not exactly.” Anton said softly. Neither really understood what he meant. “We’ll be off now. Once we’re in the sky you can put the portal stones back up there. We won’t be coming back for a while and we don’t want someone falling in by accident.”

“Won’t you need this wherever you’re going?” The Orc backed away, lightly tapping the Hunter’s arm to do the same.

“We’ve got our own methods.” Anton smiled. “If you are in need of something don’t hesitate for someone to step through or just toss a letter through. If it disappears then we’ve got it.”

The Orcs continued to back away. The Chiroks took that as the signal to start. They stretched out their large bat wings, took a running start and launched themselves into the air. With a few beats the beasts were high into the air and soaring through the sky. The Orcs shouted at the two Chiroks flew over the short wooden wall and into the marshlands beyond. Anton could feel that his mount wanted to fly higher but the tall and thin mountains, shaped like spines, prevented them from escaping with ease. He did his best to direct the two along the pathway before emerging into Qaiviel.

Snow buffeted him the moment they left the safety of the spinney mountains. Anton gripped the reigns hard as the Chiroks grunted and flapped their wings to fly even higher. Bat wings were not ideal in cold weather, they lacked a layer of insulating feathers but he knew they wouldn’t continue to fly if they couldn’t. They were tame but not obedient to the level of self-destruction.

“What the hell’s going on?!” Anton shouted over the roaring snow.

He looked back towards the Red Spines. Something was stopping the snow and the cold from reaching the mountains. About twenty meters away from the surface the snow simply disappeared, not melted, forming a neat cone around the mountains.

“I wonder if this is the United Empire’s doing?” Anton urged the Chirok’s forward. “Seems to be a lot of things are their fault...I say their fault, but they didn’t make the Beast-kin.”

Both Chiroks ignored his rambling words and continued flying west. The buffeting snow cleared almost immediately and became a gentle falling white rain. Anton looked to the south, to the last city before the Wood Elf border, and found the snows were nowhere near as bad. Everything was covered in a smattering of white but the forests were not being thrown about.

“So...It just pushes the snow away?” Anton slowly nodded. “Also keeping people away...That’s not a bad idea. I wonder if the people of Qaiviel know that the Red Spines are warm during winter? Some stupid lord might want it as their winter retreat. Better not say anything.”

The Chiroks continued to fly east, over a land turned completely white by an unending tide of falling snow. Once verdant and rolling green fields of grass now lay still and abandoned, village and hamlets dotted the white landscape with their tiny trails of smoke from fireplaces and their dull brown walls, untouched by the snow thanks to the roves, to break up the monotony.

“Now...I have a map.” Anton lent forward to reduce the amount of wind. “But it’s really hard to tell what passes for a landmark here.”

Anton kept the map close to the Chiroks back.

“Markings are pointless.” Anton clicked his tongue. “But it’s essentially due west of the Red Spines. So as long as we keep heading in that direction we should find it. It has a small dock, so that’s a start.”

Anton observed the lands of Qaiviel in silence. Almost nothing moved in the white expanse. As he looked to the south he swore he could see something moving in the sky over the Wood Elves forests. Anton enhanced his vision and his heart stopped.

It was a Dragon, there was no other thing it could possibly be. Worse it was three Dragons flying in a tight formations. They looked ancient, their giant wings beat slowly and yet propelled them up by a dozen meters. Their scales were old, covered in pieces of moss and small grasses which fell off like light rain. A golden eye focused forward until it snapped towards Anton. Its iris constricted to a point.

Anton gripped the reigns hard, the Chiroks had yet to notice they were being watched, and readied to pull hard away. The Dragon smiled, at least that’s what Anton thought his large mouth was curling up into, and began to turn away. The other two did not look but followed the Dragon towards the south. Anton began to breathe easy once again.

“Let’s not fly so close to the forests again.” Anton held the Chirok’s neck. It felt his nervousness and fear. It looked back to him with worried eyes. “It’s alright. Let’s just get going.”

Anton looked up but could not see anything. He had to remember that creatures could attack him from above, even when he was on the ground. How he would do that during a battle or travelling the lands he did not know. Regardless, he kept his eyes towards the south as they hurtled towards the west. He did not feel safe even as he began to smell the salty sea.

Hardheim finally came into view. Anton checked the map once again and it was the town he was after. He checked as far as he could see, even with his enhanced vision and saw nothing else that matched the detailed section of the map. Hardheim was small, perhaps a thousand or so people, but Anton did not expect to be given control of a major city. Nor did he want the responsibility or distraction. The Chiroks performed a lazy circle over the town and gave Anton more time to judge it properly. The town itself sat on a raised plateau, the edge perhaps a hundred meters from the short outer wooden walls, with empty croplands filling the space between. The walls extended to the shore and many meters beyond. Between either side lay an extensive fishery. Small boats lay on the shore, away from the cold and calm sea. No ice had formed but it was probably only a few degrees away. The town itself had the traditional chaotic medieval layout. Nearly all had a faint trail of smoke with only one with a larger trail. It appeared to be the local smithy but Anton would know more once they landed.

Anton directed the Chirok to take a final pass before landing far outside of town. As he came down he noticed one of the buildings was much larger than the others. A Church lay in the centre of the town, with the emblem of The Holy Father plastered high above the city on its bell-tower.

“Leo did say that it once belonged to one of the Church’s loyalists. I wonder how fanatical the people really are? News of what happened in Clausonne must have surely spread.”

The Chirok landed with its usual grace, folded its wings close to its body and cocked its head back to Anton. Anton dismounted and prepared a flat area for the portal. As the portal flashed white he looked to Hardheim. No one had emerged, no obvious sign of panic from a beast circling over their city landing nearby.

Perhaps it’s a peaceful city that’s never known war? Bandits and monsters should still be a threat…Unless there was some kind of Church Militia? Speculation is useless at this time.

Verona, Kal, Cetina, Calo and Sheso, alongside a few human soldiers, hand-picked by Jeff for their strength and loyalty, stepped out of the portal.

I do normally travel with a lot of women, don’t I? Maybe a few men travelling with me might make think I’m not a wierdo. Although it’s definitely going to make our nights a bit more difficult.

“This seems like a nice place.” Verona kissed Anton’s cheek. “I’m remembering what Rasha said. This probably would have been a place where we’d settle down.”

“You’d probably have taken a few of the locals.” Kal chuckled beneath her mask. “Seducing a priestess and making her break her vows, someone from the local guard and luring them away from their duties…Oh, and definitely someone that works at the tavern.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. The tavern girl would definitely be Verona’s work, just so she could eat whenever she wants.” Anton rubbed his beard. Kal lightly punched his arm. “But then I wouldn’t have you, now would I?”

“No…” Kal held his hand tight. “But this is a place where the people will kill me if they discover the truth.”

“And that means you.” Anton said to the human soldiers. “Not a word about Kal’s mask or where we come from. If they ask, Kal has suffered grievous wounds from a fire. And absolutely no word about the Beast-kin. Understood?”

The soldiers nodded. They already understood, Anton just wanted to reinforce how serious the matter was.

“We’ll send you two back now.” Anton scratched the Chirok’s neck. “Don’t want someone to try and hunt you for a big trophy. Someone trying to impress women at the tavern with a giant dead wolf’s head. Those Orcs were already looking at you like that.”

The Chirok grumbled and walked to the portal. It flashed through, Cetina quickly collected the stones and returned to the group.

“Well, let’s go then.”

As they trudged through the ankle deep snow Anton grew more and more concerned that no one was appearing to watch them. The city had walls, so they were prepared for some level of attack but so far there was no movement whatsoever. Only when they were but a hundred meters away to the open gate did he see movement. A Qaiviel soldier, wearing mostly white with a sash and trimmings of green, stood in the gate itself. His clothes were thick wool and fur, perfect for keeping warm in the cold winter, though beneath his thick beard and moustache he still looked unbelievably cold. Behind him a small metal brazier flickered with light, to the side rested a bundle of snow covered small logs, one with a much lighter amount of snow.

The guard waited until they were much closer before speaking. “Who is travelling in the winter?”

You didn’t see the Chirok land just out there? They are pretty silent…What a terrible first impression of my future guards. Peaceful lands breed ‘soft’ people. Though isn’t that what everyone’s fighting for? The right to be safe?

“Good day to you.” Anton tried his best to sound jovial without it being too forced. The guard seemed not to care either way. “I am Anton. I have been given control of Hardheim by King Leo as reward for my services to him personally.”

The guard looked a little dubious but still straightened his back, just in case Anton was the man he claimed to be.

“I am here to lead this city to greater prosperity.” Anton did not like the pretensions in his words but continued on regardless. “I heard this town was under the control of someone loyal to The Church of The Holy Father and an ally of King Harold. Is that correct?”

“It is.” The guard folded his arms. “Or, at least it was. Some yellow Knights came through and killed him and everyone that tried to stop him.”

“How many died?” Verona asked softly. As a woman, and as she had not spoken so far, she could appear to be more empathetic than Anton without his own image taking a hit.

“About ten. Not many people ‘round here believe in that stuff. Those that do…” He nodded to the Church. “They barricaded themselves in there and prayed for salvation.” He shrugged and leant against the wall. “Didn’t do much for them when they started to tear it all down.”

“I hope that is going to be the last bloodshed this town sees for some time.” Anton said. “With them dead, who is currently in charge? I will need to speak with them immediately.”

“Mayor Patrice. His house is next to the Church. The one with the red roof. You’ll find it really easily.”

I guess you can’t leave your post, since it seems like you’re the only guard here. I know you could still close the gate but if someone wanted to attack there’s only one of you to stop them. Having so few might actually encourage them to attack.

“Thanks.” Anton smiled again. “Keep warm.”

Anton motioned for them to enter the town. The guard did not stop nor search them and moved closer to his small flaming brazier. Now he paid more attention along the road, he’d already been surprised once today and didn’t want another.

The streets of Hardheim had a surprising level of human activity given the cold weather though the few shuffling through the streets held the thick cloaks close to their body. None of the stalls were open, there was no need for anyone to endure such weather on the off chance a buyer approached. Anton saw a couple exit a building with a large basket filled with vegetables and dried fish. Trade had not completely stopped, only slowed for the winter.

His attention fell upon the Church at the centre of Hardheim. It stood somewhat taller than the other buildings but looked less gaudy and ornate than the others he had seen. However, the doors were broken inwards and heavily charred, so too were the large glass windows. Anton took a step back and saw multiple holes in the roof. He hoped that there wasn’t anyone taking refuge inside the Church, they would be suffering from frostbite at the very least.

“Are we going to tear that down?” Verona nudged his side. “I don’t think you’re the sort of person that wants people worshipping them.”

“Maybe a storage area?” Kal offered. “This town looks like it gets lots of fish. After drying and salting they’re easy to transport.”

“We’ll have all the symbols removed.” Anton began. “Then have it turned into a shelter for the poor and homeless, so long as they are willing to work. We will help the people but only if they’re willing to help themselves.”

“Doing that would make you very popular.” Cetina said. “It’ll be hard for anyone to complain as well. Unless they just want to beg for money for the rest of their life...Doesn’t sound like it’s a fulfilling life.”

Anton softly sighed. “I’m sure that’s what these places were originally intended for, and I’m sure that many still did, but corruption comes with power and wealth. Gold corrupts everything in the end.”

“Hopefully not us.” Verona mumbled softly. “One we’re going to have even more money than them. It’ll be hard not to just...You know.”

Anton kissed Verona’s hand.

“There it is.” Kal pointed to a building with a red roof. The building did indeed have a red roof and was somewhat larger than the others but not massively so. Anton hoped the man within would be more reasonable than many of the Qaiviel nobility he had met.

Most I’ve met have been part of the Knight Orders. I haven’t had much to do with the city nobility…Outside of Duchess Belinda.

Anton looked down the alleyways, where the snow had piled up higher than the main streets. Thankfully he could not see anyone but it was only one of many alleyways. Any beggars or homeless could be forced to the backstreets. Out of sight, out of mind.

Cetina knocked loudly on the door of the red roofed house.

Sheso pulled her hood to one side, allowing her long ear to return to normal. “There’s a lot of movement inside. Heavy boots…And something heavy just touched the wall.”

“A mace.” Kal said. “Quite a large one too. Large spikes, judging by the way it rolled about.”

Anton focused and could just make out something moving inside the house. He could not hear as clearly as a Feline Beast-kin or a Dark Elf but he wasn’t completely useless.

“I can’t hear anything.” Verona shrugged. “But I have my magic if something goes wrong.”

Anton turned to the human soldiers as the locks began to click. “Don’t say anything about magic either. Especially healing.”

Again, the soldiers already understood.

The door slowly creaked open then stopped abruptly. A single eye peered over a thick metal chain lock.

“Who are you?” A voice softly asked. Before Anton could respond he heard a light thump behind the centre of the door on the floor. He presumed the man had just placed the mace’s head onto the ground.

Anton regaled who he was and that ownership of the town had given to him by King Leo. The man behind the door was obviously dubious, until he produced the sealed piece of paper. The eye widened.

“One moment.”

He closed the door and the metal chain fell free. The man behind the door was middle-aged, with short greyed hair and a well-trimmed beard.

“Can I see that?”

Anton had the scroll taken from his hand by Cetina who passed it to him. The man almost asked why she had but decided against it. He produced an incredibly thin blade, a fish gutting blade and cut the thick seal. He quickly read the contents, slowly nodding, before handing it back to Cetina.

“Well…You’d better come in then. No point in standing out in the snow.” The man stepped back and ushered them in. “My name is Patrice, currently the Mayor of Hardheim. Not that I was elected, I was the highest ranking official after the Yellow Strikers were finished with the priest and his followers. At least…Doesn’t matter. I had already received a letter that you would be arriving…Just not when.”

Anton stomped his boots outside to remove the dirt and snow. He winced slightly as the claws poked into the underside of his dragonoid feet. The others copied as they stepped inside.

“I didn’t expect you to arrive during the winter. Nothing is happening while the snows continue to fall.”

“I can appreciate that.” Anton felt a warmth wash over him as they closed the door. The iron mace lay in the corner, thankfully with no blood. “It’s not like you can fish or till the fields.”

“True…” Patrice smiled. “Please, come in. I have a fire going in my sitting room.”

Patrice led them in deeper into his home. It was a simple affair, simple but very nice. Anton began to hear more voices alongside the crackling of flame. They grew silent as they approached. Inside the large room he saw five people; a woman that looked to be his wife, three young boys and a boy in his early teens.

“Who are they?” The woman asked.

“This is Anton, Duke Anton. The new ruler of Hardheim.”

“Oh…”

“Hello.” Anton smiled and bowed his head. “I have no intention of disrupting the goings on of the city too much. I want to improve it and see that Hardheim becomes a great town.”

“We aren’t a particularly large or prosperous town.” The woman looked in the direction of the ruined Church. “But now we aren’t having to pay tithes.”

“Is that standard throughout Qaiviel?” Anton asked.

“Not particularly.” The woman straightened her thick clothes. “But the King’s authority rarely extends this far.”

“Even with the Knight Orders nearby?”

The teenager boy scoffed. “They don’t care about us. They spend most of their time training. And coming here to drink and eat everything they can…”

“That won’t be happening from now on.” Anton said. “If they do I’ll have their heads sent to Leo’s throne.”

All fell went silent at his words, especially Patrice. While his family probably didn’t know about Anton’s involvement Patrice had certainly heard rumours. His current companions would undoubtedly match the description of those involved with the death of King Harold.

“Really?” One of the young boys asked. He only turned his head away from the fire, not willing to move his hands from the warming flame.

“Absolutely. King Leo owes me a few favours…” Anton turned to Patrice. “I take it that you have some ideas on how to improve the city? What areas are lacking and could use help?”

“This…” Patrice trailed off.

“Is rather unorthodox and sudden. Certainly.” Anton smiled. “But this is the situation we find ourselves in. Am I right in assuming that you’ve been in command of Hardheim since the civil war?”

“I have…” Patrice frowned slightly. “I believe that this could be better discussed in my study. I do not have any of my records in here, after all.”

Anton followed Patrice, along with Verona, Kal and Cetina. Calo and Sheso knew it would be too crowded with them and they were more than capable of taking care of themselves. They remained in the sitting room, the twins squeezed in between the young boys to reach the fire. Their dark skin and brown eyes drew no end of awed and hushed whispers from the young boys and even the teenager. All were immediately smitten by the warrior Dark Elves, though they may have thought they were Seocurians.

Patrice led them to his actual study, a room overflowing with papers and roughly bound books. A small inkwell sat on his desk along with partially complete documents.

“It’s not as bad as it seems.” Patrice quickly took his seat. “It just looks very bad. Most of this is documentation from my father. I haven’t had time to get rid of it. From time to time one of the minor nobility wants a copy of something…Doesn’t matter.”

Anton took the only other free seat. There were another two but piles of paper had swallowed them whole.

Patrice clasped his hands tight on the table. “I do not believe that you are someone that wishes to have me waffle on…”

Anton raised his hand. “I do not wish to interfere with how the town is being run, unless there are glaring issues. I do presume that the main exports of the city are grains and fish?”

“They are.”

“What sort of demand do your goods have throughout the country?”

“Umm…Normal? Our fish are simple…And so is our grain.”

“But you cannot keep up with the demand?”

“No. Our previous…Ruler did not consider it a priority.”

“Well I do.” Anton began to search through his clothes for one of his hidden pouches. “I also understand that one cannot make money without investing it, though I’m sure that there are many that would try and disagree with me.”

Anton pulled out a purse of gold coins. “I think this should be more than sufficient to fund any upgrades and ventures that need to be undertaken.”

Patrice took the purse with a measure of caution and dubiousness. When he saw what lay inside his eyes all but bulged from his skull. Anton almost smiled, nearly everyone had the same reaction.

Then again, it’s not every day you’re just handed the equivalent of millions of dollars.

“This…”

“I believe that I can trust you.” Anton leant back into the chair. “And I don’t think you have to be told what will happen to you if you decide to flee with that money.”

Patrice grew very flustered. “I would never do something like that.”

“It may be very tempting. But I want you to use this to buy whatever materials and people you need. I think it would be best to play to your strengths, fish and grain, rather than trying more exotic ventures, but if someone has a reasonable idea then you should go for it.”

“Why-Why are you just giving away this much money? To me? To this little town?”

Anton thought hard. Though he had just met Patrice but a few minutes ago he did not think he should lie to him. At least what he would consider to be a lie.

“Because I want this place to be strong and prosperous. I was given this land under the provision that I do so, that the levies and soldiers that I might raise here are plentiful and strong. And I cannot do that anytime soon without spending some gold.” Anton smiled. “If you have any reservations about spending that gold, know that it came from the vaults of The Church of The Holy Father. It is all, essentially, hoarded and stolen wealth. Gold has no use other than when it is spent. And…I can make even more gold this way too.”

“I see…” Patrice began searching through the papers. “Some of the fishermen have been asking about the poor boats. One was even talking about a different type of netting and catching method…”

“So long as they don’t overharvest the fish and deplete the local stock.” Anton said. “Try keeping some of the larger fish alive and in pens. As breeders, and release their spawn. That way you won’t ever run out of the smaller fish.”

Patrice blinked once. “I…I have heard of some fisheries north of here running out of fish. They stopped fishing for several seasons and they came back.”

“Not if you get them all.” Anton smiled. “Think of it as a small morsel of wisdom that I wish to impart. A bit of knowledge from my home…homeland.”

“Well, I will do what I can.” Patrice continued to search through the papers. “If it can be worded properly then I don’t think there will be a problem. A few farmers want new ploughs and other tools. You don’t have any ideas for that, do you?”

Anton didn’t think the man was being snide so answered as truthfully as he could.

“Honestly, no. Except that for fruit baring trees that not every fruit should be saved. The tree has limited time and energy and shouldn’t put it into fruit that simply isn’t going to grow well. What that might be, I have no idea.”

“I see.” Patrice scribbled down his words. Whether or not they would be followed was another thing entirely. “Is there anything else?”

“The Church.” Anton said. Patrice tensed slightly. “I don’t want it torn down. How many homeless people are there in Hardheim?”

“About fifty?” Patrice shrugged lightly as he leant back into his chair. “They tend to drift from place to place. Some end up as bandits or brigands, but we haven’t had any problems with that.”

“You only had one guard at the entrance.” Cetina folded her arms. “He doesn’t seem like a bad person but even I could overpower him. Even without a blade. You don’t seem very prepared for anything for a major assault.”

“Hardheim has never come under any serious attack.” Patrice replied calmly. “Never. Not in my lifetime and never in the lifetime of my father and his. I…” He raised his hand. “I understand what you’re saying, but these lands are very safe.”

“I don’t know if any lands are going to be safe very soon.” Anton said softly. “In about another two winters, I believe that everyone on this continent will be longing for these calm days. Even those affected by the Civil War.”

Patrice frowned. “I do not know of what you’re...Is there some attack coming? Does King Leo know about this?”

“He does, in a sense.” Anton shrugged. “If he believes me is another matter entirely. But I do want this town to survive. And you won’t be able to do that if you only have a dozen guards at best.”

Patrice slowly nodded. “I will do what I can. The few that we have...Most of their equipment is old, well maintained but very old. I’m sure that we could get some of the third or fourth born sons to join. They don’t have much chance to inherit their families wealth or position, so...I’ll see what I can do.”

“Excellent.” Anton smiled. “It might not sound like much but a few dozen extra spears could mean all the difference between life and death.”

“Since I have never been in a fight myself I will have to take your word for it.”

Anton clapped his hands. “Though it has been only a short time we must depart.”

“Already?” Patrice looked towards the door. “But it’s the middle of winter? And you’ve only just arrived.”

“We’ll be fine.” Anton summoned a small Fire Bomb. “We can take care of warmth ourselves.”

“But I’m sure we can easily house our new Duke-”

Anton raised his hand. “The homeless? Where are they?”

Patrice blinked. “Most of the time they are in the north of the city. That’s where the tavern is, and the butchers and most of the fish works. They scavenge a bit of food from there…”

“Use some of that money for food and firewood.” Anton said. “Currently the Church is unoccupied. Have them sleep in there, after you board up the windows and roof. But only if they are willing to work, no matter how damaged or hurt they are. If they merely wish to be a drain then let them endure the snow. Everyone must be willing to contribute.”

Patrice nodded firmly. “As you say. We will do what we can, but I don’t know if we can convince them to help us or not.”

“Just do your best.” Anton shrugged. “But remind them that there is a way to live a better life, if they’re willing to work. But should something terrible arise…”Anton produced two communication pens. "Use this if something terrible arises. What one pen writes, the other will copy."

Anton quickly demonstrated how the pen worked. Patrice was more than curious.

"It is a magical artefact." Anton continued. "But I would be very upset if a Mage got their hands on this."

"A secret artefact?" Patrice hesitated to even touch his pen.

"I guess you could call it that. If it is broken, that's not really a drama. I can replace them easily. But I don't want anyone to see this or experiment on it. Understood?"

"Completely, Duke Anton. I will guard this with my life."

There's no need to be that dramatic. But so long as it gets the job done.

“We will do our best, Duke Anton.” Patrice bowed his head As Anton rose from his chair. “With this money we will make Hardheim into a prosperous city.”

“I will be returning before the end of winter.” Anton said. “Again, I will be leaving you to your own devices and I think that you know the city better than I do. My journeys take me elsewhere and I cannot winter here.”

“I…I see.”

“Regardless, I wish all of you the best.” Anton said. “I know you will do well.”

“We can easily have you stay the night.” Patrice offered. “The local tavern is currently empty, so…”

“We will be fine.”

And there’s not much that I want to do here other than placate Leo and, perhaps, make him think I care about this town. I do in a small way but not overly so.

Patrice nervously tapped his finger on the table. "Are you sure you don't want to at least have a walk around the town?"

"I've already seen it from above." Anton smiled. "No one seemed to notice me flying over your heads riding a Chirok."

"A what?"

"I don't think they settle in Qaiviel." Cetina said softly. "Too many humans. Though they might like the coast to hunt fish and seals"

"Haven't seen any Griffons or Perytons either." Kal added. "Though, that last one is supposed to only exist in the Wood Elf Territory."

Patrice's mouth was almost slack jawed. Here was his new Duke, speaking about fantastical creatures from around the continent.

"I..."

"I'll leave you to it." Anton said as he turned. "And don't even think about trying to find a way of returning my investment before winter ends. It will take many winters of hard work before something like that will happen."

Patrice almost stumbled back into his chair. Anton did not think he looked like a loan shark or a predatory lord, the previous ruler must not have been gentle.

"T-Thank you. I was...A little concerned."

"I wish you and your family, and Hardheim, the best." Anton gave a final wave and left.

In the sitting room the human soldiers were chatting with Patrice's wife and eldest son. She wanted to know what was happening beyond Qaiviel, the teenager wanted to know more about fighting and war, something she clearly did not want him to be involved in. The three boys were endlessly fascinated by Calo and Sheso, especially their dark skin. The twins made sure their ears were not exposed. Not that it was a crime to be a Dark Elf, only that it would raise more suspicion than two Seocurians so far south.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Anton bowed his head. "But we must depart. I wish your children well.”

Calo and Sheso ruffled the hair of the young boys and winked at the teenager. His face turned scarlet as he averted his eyes, his mother’s eyes narrowed on him. The human soldiers gave a brief apology and left.

“Wait!” The teenager ran up to Anton. Cetina stepped in between and raised her hand. He stopped when he realised she wasn’t going to let him past. “Those Knights-”

“The Yellow Striders seem like an arrogant bunch.” Anton said. “Honestly, I think that you should try something else for your future.”

“No.” He nervously laughed. “No...I was just talking with your bodyguards-”

Anton glanced at the Atros soldiers. They gave no indication they had divulged something critical or sensitive.

“And they said that they were once normal people, civilians, and now they can wield weapons and armour like the best of the Qaiviel Knights.”

“True…”

“Do you think I could start a Knight Order?”

His mother began to cough violently at his words. Patrice looked equally distressed.

“Well.” Anton scratched his beard. “I don’t think there’s anything stopping you from starting a band, at the very least. I believe only King Leo has the authority to create one, but I could petition him. He owes me a fair amount.”

“Then-”

Anton raised his hand. “But you understand that this isn’t something that you can just play at? You can’t just get bored and run home. You will be fighting in terrible conditions, fighting in the mud and blood, charging down someone that wants nothing more than to kill you and survive. Not to mention training and maintaining your mind and body every day.”

Anton took a deep breath. “Are you honestly ready for something like that?”

The teenager did not respond.

“I like your enthusiasm, I really do.” Anton smiled. “But as you are right now I would not. Perhaps when I return before the end of winter, and I can see some improvement, then we could talk further. This will not be a cheap endeavour either. You need to provide your own armour and horses, not to mention a castle to house the Knight Order.”

“I...I see.” The teenager slowly nodded. “I-”

“Come here.” Patrice waved his son closer. He held him close. “Just give it a few days and see what you think. Right now you’ve just met a stranger and it’s extremely…”

“I understand.” He smiled at Patrice. “At the very least it might get me out of the house.”

“We’ll leave you to it.” Anton gave a final wave as they left. “Don’t do anything stupid, any of you. Good luck.”

Patrice and his family gave a final wave, the young boys waving furiously at the twins, as they exited their home. Anton waited for the door to close before speaking.

“We’re done here. Let’s head home.”

“Is this all we’re doing here?” Verona asked. “Seems a bit of a long journey.”

“It’s fine. We’re only here to make it look to Leo that we’re actually settling. A few gold coins doesn’t mean much to us.” Anton shrugged. “Especially since it did actually come from The Church of The Holy Father.”

“At least their lives will be a bit better.” Kal shrugged.

“Yes…” Anton glanced to Cetina. “Since we’ve got a little time before Mezot can come and teach us again, I was thinking of heading to Thessos.”

Cetina nearly lost her balance. “R-Really?”

Anton nodded. “Yes. We can pick up more winter gear in Bebbezzar and head south. If we ride hard we should get there before Mezot is ready. Besides, I want to expand our portal network. And, should we ever be able to cross into the Deweth Clansmen territory without being immediately killed, Thessos would be a great place. Being so close to the border.”

Cetina smiled, her body bounced up and down with delight. “I would be so happy if we could. I...I don’t want to go back there, to live, but I want to know that everyone’s alright. Though Eluria and Sancha were cunts there were still a lot of good people there. I just hope they’ve managed to survive.”

“One way to find out.” Anton began walking towards the gate. Verona and Kal took his arms. “And if they are in trouble then we can help them. Right? We’ve done it here and we can do it again.”