Chapter: Nothing to do but work

Rugrat might have gone to sleep exhausted but when he woke up just a few hours later he was filled with energy.

I wonder what Erik will say when he finds out that everytime one opens a mana gate above ten their mana lord title will be upgraded?

Rugrat got up and went to check on Erik, he was fine but he was still out cold.

Seeing that there was nothing to do but let him rest, Rugrat left the building.

He left the headquarters, entering the main square.

Some people were returning home after completing their shift, others were waking up and getting their meals before heading off to work.

Rugrat detoured to the showers quickly before heading back to the main square.

He saw that Glosil, Elise, Jasper and Taran were all there, Sergeant Niemm was also at the table, Blaze must have been off training the heavy infantry.

Rugrat didn’t like having to be the leader, but as his friend was down and he was the other leader of Alva Village he grabbed his breakfast and moved to join them.

“Erik’s going to be out for sometime,” Rugrat said. “How’s the village?”

The others nodded and organized their thoughts.

“We should be done building the watchtowers in four more days. After that, everything will be focused on creating more defenses. With our current group numbers, not including the heavy infantry, we will be able to complete the defenses in another week. With them, four days, even less if we use the people from the logging camps,” Elise reported.

It was coming down to the wire now, it was the seventh day since Erik and Rugrat had arrived a lot had happened in that time, Erik and Rugrat wanted the city to be ready for attacks by the ninth day. It looked like they would be late unless they gave up on the logging camp.

“Break the logging camp, everything is to be collected and the groups will be put onto construction and building defenses,” Rugrat said.

“Yes, sir,” Elise said.

“We have enough rations for everyone for three weeks now, we have twelve warm meals prepared ahead of time as well. With water and food supplies, we should be able to hold out for four months,” Jasper reported.

“Good, keep up the good work,” Rugrat commended.

“We’ll have spears for everyone by day’s end. We’ll have twenty of the modified crossbows as well, with enough regular crossbows for everyone able to fight,” Taran said, Rugrat already knew the situation with the weapons but the others didn’t.

Rugrat and Taran’s techniques had greatly improved over the last two days and nights. For them it was much easier to create novice weapons and armor, they even modified older weapons to increase their attack power and abilities.

“It is my aim to make apprentice level crossbows and spears moving forwards, to cut down on costs this will mean melting down older weapons,” Taran said.

Everyone congratulated Taran on the new skill increase to apprentice smith before continuing.

“The guards have basically all become sergeants for the Alva village protection force, those that have showed promise among the archers have been termed sharpshooters and take on an active role, patrolling the walls and the streets, being stationed in the completed watchtowers.

When they are not on patrol they are scouting the forests, killing more boars,” Glosil said. Now that the groundwork had been laid for the archery units there wasn’t much more need for him to do anything but provide an early warning system for the village.

“Captain Blaze is working with the heavy infantry, teaching them how to use their swords and shields. They will be training all of today, tomorrow he wants to take them out patrolling in the forest and use the sharpshooters to lure in beasts. So far we’ve lost seven trainees that have quit,” Sergeant Niemm said.

“I want fourteen people that have a good grasp of first aid. It doesn’t matter their role, all I want is for them to be willing to learn. The plan is to turn them into medics like Erik so that everyone else can focus on the battle, or pass wounded over to them, they’ll heal them up and get them back in action,” Rugrat said.

The others broke into discussion, Rugrat had some ideas on who he wanted, but he let them break it down, they knew what was happening in their different groups.

Rugrat was able to get a clear idea of what was happening in Alva village and he got a list of people.

“Send them to the barracks,” Rugrat said.

There was nothing major that needed his direct orders, Alva village could work by itself now.

The meeting came to a close as the others moved to see to their duties, Rugrat ate his food.

***

Rugrat was working in the smithy again when someone knocked on the door.

“The medic trainees are here,” a sergeant said.

“Thanks,” Rugrat said, he finished up what he was working on and then headed out to look at the fourteen people.

They came from all walks of life.

“Alright, so in this job you’re going to see a lot of people wounded and you’re going to put them back together, is everyone okay with blood and some nasty ass injuries?” Rugrat asked.

A few people turned pale.

“That’s no problem, if you’re not good with that, go back to your work parties and have your leaders send over new people,” Rugrat said.

Five people left as Rugrat was a bit disappointed that the leaders hadn’t truly vetted their people.

“I will not be teaching you healing spells, or how to be an alchemist, I will be teaching you how to use needle and thread, bandages and tourniquets, different ways to apply healing powder, healing solutions as well as in depth methods you can use to save a life. Lets get started,” Rugrat clapped his hands together.

***

“Swords!” Blaze yelled out, the spears in the heavy infantry’s hands disappeared and their swords and shields appeared, they braced their shields and stabbed forward with their swords.

“Hah!”

Dust rose from their feet, they’d thoroughly trampled the ground, their actions sending out a wave of air.

Since they had rested last night they’d increased their levels in one shot. Their combined power couldn’t be compared to before.

Fighting with a sword was more complicated than a spear but Blaze had broken it down, using a mix of tactics from his time in the army and what Erik had suggested to him, something about romans and hoplites.

Blaze looked over the groups with approval, their reactions were better, they didn’t pause in carrying out their orders, they didn’t care who was beside them and while they still had closer friends they all interacted with one another.

They’d formed a brotherhood in the last few days.

Blaze could see the strength that was emerging from these farmers and he was excited.

He looked over as he saw Rugrat and the sharpshooter group moving through the fields. Erik had slept for two days now, he felt his heart twitch, nervous for the changes that he had gone through.

Rugrat assured him that Erik was fine, but not seeing him for so long after the strange happenings from the village headquarters a few nights ago, it wasn’t easy for Blaze to calm his heart.

“Recover!” Sergeant Niemm yelled out as the sharpshooters in their armor made from boar hides looked at the heavy infantry, their eyes seemed to be challenging one another.

The heavy infantry didn’t even look at them as if they weren’t worth looking at.

Blaze smirked slightly, it looked like a small rivalry had started between the two groups.

“Ready?” Rugrat asked, while everyone had crossbows, he had created a bow with pulleys like the modified crossbows and a composite metal. It was even stronger than the crossbow in strength, matched with Rugrat’s added marksman skill and speed, he was tens of times faster with his bow and just as deadly as those with the modified crossbows.

“Ready,” Blaze confirmed.

“Alright,” Rugrat waved off some of the archers, he had spent yesterday and the morning working with the to be medics, the rest of his time he had been teaching the sharpshooters everything he knew from being a sniper.

They would go ahead to scout out the forest then guide the boars back to the heavy infantry. First they would use the boars to test their abilities and techniques, they would even try to move while under attack, it was much harder but it showed their skill.

They would go through transitions from spears to swords, while they expected boars, there was also the possibility of wolves being attracted to the battle like they had been before.

Blaze and Rugrat even planned on it, wanting to surprise and get the heavy infantry to react.

Rugrat had brought two of the medics in training with him as well to deal with any severe injuries.

“Prepare to move out!” Blaze yelled, the heavy infantry sections got organized, Blade section had been allowed to regain their title as first section, all of them had the same haircut were freshly shaved and wore the same armor and weapons. There was no difference between them now.

Blaze was proud of how far they had come.

As they marched towards the forest his eyes turned dark, knowing of the threats that hid in those trees.