by Seth Ring
*BOOOOM*
This time the sound was not contained inside Thorn’s body and radiated outward like a muffled thump. The mud surrounding Thorn was sent flying as a torrent of energy rushed out of Thorn in a spreading circle. Like a gushing fountain the energy poured out of Thorn’s legs, sinking into the ground around him.
*ding*
The energy that exploded from his body abruptly reversed and flooded back into him like a rushing tide. Following the returning energy came a deluge of earth energy from the surrounding ground that gushed up through his crossed legs into his abdomen and then into his chest. With a deep thud the Stone Heart in his chest began to beat rhythmically. Each pulse drew more earth energy into his body, sucking it into the Stone Heart and hiding it away.
In for nine, hold for five, out for five, hold for seven.
As he continued to breathe, the earth energy in his body grew in density, swirling into his chest where it vanished into his Stone Heart. Though it seemed to disappear, Thorn could sense it inside of him, simply waiting for his command. As his body calmed down from the intense state of tension it had just been in, Thorn began to cast his [Spiritual Sense] out around his body. Where he could sense the earth immediately around his body before, his [Spiritual Sense] could now expand outside of his body to examine all of the earth within a clear one hundred feet.
Stunned by the size of the change, it took him a second to get used to the feeling of being connected to so much space. Taking a deep breath, his mind began to process all of the different pieces of information pouring into it. Roughly fifty feet behind him he could sense two figures standing on the ground facing him, one heavier and the other lighter. As his attention focused on them their figures began to grow clearer though the rest of the ground that Thorn could see faded away.
It took him a moment, but as he concentrated, Mina and Corvo’s figures became more and more distinct in his mind until he could see them clearly. By concentrating on the earth under their feet he was able to focus his awareness around them but at the expense of the rest of the area where his [Spiritual Sense] reached. Letting go of his focused attention, Thorn’s [Spiritual Sense] flowed back out until it once again covered the hundred feet around him.
This time, instead of focusing on anything in particular, Thorn concentrated on hardening the mud, starting with the ground right underneath his body. Retracting his [Spiritual Sense] until it only occupied an area of around five feet from his position, he began to manipulate the earth energy that remained in the mud. A warm feeling in his chest began to heat up his body as the earth energy that had just been stored in the Stone Heart began to flow down, connecting with the energy already in the earth.
As soon as the energy connected, the ground hardened, pushing him up and out of the mud as the ground became firm and smooth. With a thought, the surrounding five feet followed, the mud disappearing, leaving hard earth behind. A wide grin split Thorn’s face as he stood up and dusted his hands off. Concentrating carefully, Thorn expanded his [Spiritual Sense] to ten feet and tested it again. Just like before, as soon as the earth energy stored in his Stone Heart connected with the earth energy in the ground his [Spiritual Sense] had permeated, he felt the mud disappear.
After careful testing he found that the larger the area of his [Spiritual Sense], the faster it drained the earth energy he had stored up in the Stone Heart. Settling on an area of just about twenty feet, Thorn began walking around the mud filled camp, hardening the ground as he walked. Though he had to rest a few times and meditate to restore the earth energy in his body, he got better and better at manipulating the earth energy in his Stone Heart and after about an hour, the camp had been completely transformed. The extra water that was squeezed out of the earth was channeled into a ditch Thorn created between the Iron Wolf camp and the main camp to keep the camp from flooding again. Running the ditch around the outside of the fabric walls, Thorn directed the water into the lake.
“Wow, that is something else. I’ve never seen a spell like that before, it was more like an aura than a normal spell. When did you pick up earth magic?” Mina asked when Thorn was done.
“Earth magic?”
“It’s not earth magic?” Mina’s eyebrows rose when she heard Thorn’s questioning tone.
“I’m not sure?” Thorn shrugged. “I don’t know how magic works. I don’t think it is magic, but it could be. I’ve got a way to manipulate earth energy, but I can’t really influence anything else.”
“Hm, so that is sorta like magic. I manipulate ice energy for my spells, but I do it through arcane chants or memorized rune paths.”
“Then it does sound like I’m doing magic, but with my, uh, will? It takes me a while though.”
The Iron Wolf army took advantage of the newly hardened ground to begin setting up their camp in earnest, and soon a well-ordered row of tents stretched from the main camp down to the lake. Even with most of the players logging to fantasia to pass the time, they still went through the process of setting up their camp to practice for when they were on Rasyn. While they could log into Fantasia from anywhere in the game, they could not log in or out during combat, so they would spend most of their time on Rasyn logged into the game. Watching the well-ordered activity, Thorn could not help but feel gratified. He had initially been worried about how disciplined the players would be, but their precision and professionalism reminded him how seriously they all took the game.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Icy blue, or black with silver trim?” Mina asked, holding up two different dresses for Corvo and Thorn to see.
“The blue one is a bit more formal, but I think I like black and silver better.”
“Yeah, its style fits better with your personality as well.” Thorn nodded.
“Great!”
Putting both dresses back in her inventory, Mina snapped her fingers, instantly equipping the black and silver dress. Spinning on her heel, she grinned as her dress swirled around her.
“Looking sharp!” Thorn said, giving her a thumbs up.
“Are you going to wear your armor? You are not going to change?”
“Nah, I think I look better like this. Unless you think I should?”
“If you want to make a good impression, I would.” Corvo nodded. “The duke was not wearing armor when he was inspecting the troops earlier, so I doubt that he would change into armor for the banquet. I would recommend something conservative but fashionable.”
“That makes sense. How about this?” Snapping, Thorn equipped one of the sets of clothes that he had purchased in the capital.
“That looks good. Though you could probably swap out your shoes for boots. Maybe something a bit more, uh, rural? The shoes are probably not suited for the camp.”
“Got it.” With another snap, Thorn swapped his shoes out for some leather riding boots and then glanced at Corvo’s ragged coat. “How about you, Corvo?”
“Even if I changed, I’m keeping my coat on, so I’ll just end up looking like this anyway,” Corvo said with a shrug.
“Alright, let's get going,” Thorn said, looking over the others one last time.
The camp was much quieter than it had been when the Iron Wolves arrived, and as Thorn led Corvo and Mina toward the duke’s tent he could see the soldiers from the various forces settling down for their evening meal. The faint haze of smoke from the cooking fires in each camp drifted, lending a softness to the air. By the time they arrived at the tent where the banquet had been set up the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in blues and pinks.
“Hold.”
The soldiers at the tent’s entrance stopped Thorn’s group from entering. One of the soldiers, a scarred middle-aged man, raked an eye over Thorn’s attire, his face twisting into a subtle sneer.
“There are important events taking place here, you’ll have to come back later.”
Before Mina could react, she saw Thorn’s large hand drop in front of her, as if he knew exactly what her response would
be. The Titan’s face remained placid as he looked down at the soldiers.
“That’s okay, we’re here for the party.”
The scarred soldier’s sneer deepened slightly.
“Are you on the list? If you ain’t on the list I’m gonna hafta ask you to leave.”
Hearing his disrespectful words, the other soldier blanched and glanced over at his scarred companion, only to be waved off. Emboldened by Thorn’s lack of response, the scarred soldier took a step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side. Thorn’s only response was an amused smile as he looked over his shoulder at Corvo.
“Is this one of those scenes where someone makes trouble for the new guy, trying to embarrass them?”
“It looks like it.” Corvo nodded seriously, his hand on his chin as he carefully examined the scarred soldier.
“Oooh, and next a group of nobles will arrive and see you being super humiliated!” Mina’s eyes lit up as she looked around.
Sure enough, the next moment a cluster of nobles arrived behind Thorn, Corvo, and Mina, chatting and laughing together. One of the nobles in the front nodded to the scarred soldier who smiled and stepped aside for the group. About to try and push past Thorn’s group, the nobles were stunned to see Thorn step in their way.
“Excuse me.”
“Hold.” Thorn’s deep voice rumbled through the nobles, stopping them in their tracks. “I don’t recognize you. Are you on the list? If you are not on the list then I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
A shocked silence settled over the whole area as the nobles stared at Thorn, mouths agape. Behind him, the scarred soldier frowned and opened his mouth to speak only to find himself completely frozen. Unable to move his head, his eyes dropped to a smiling Ice Witch whose slim hand was lightly touching his arm. Letting the silence grow for another moment, Thorn suddenly laughed loudly, his voice shaking the nobles out of their stupor.
“Haha, just joking, just joking.” Thorn patted the noble in front of him, nearly knocking the poor man down. “Come, the duke is waiting for us.”
Turning, he strode confidently past the scarred soldier whose body was shivering uncontrollably at the side. Mina and Corvo followed confidently behind Thorn while the rest of the nobles filed into the tent after them. Stepping into the tent, Thorn nearly ran into a flustered aide who had been hurrying out of the tent. Realizing that everyone in the tent had probably heard his loud voice, Thorn’s smile widened into a full grin.
“Earl Greymane, I was just wondering where you were.” The duke’s voice came from the opposite side of the tent.
“Please excuse my tardiness, my lord, I was making sure that my soldiers were settled. We ended up needing a slightly larger space than was allotted.”
“Understandable. It is not often that we see a force of your size.”
As Thorn walked through the tent, the crowd automatically parted, creating a clear path for him to where the duke stood. Carefully looking over the people who surrounded the duke, Thorn saluted.
“I see you brought some of your companions, Earl Greymane. Why don’t you introduce us?”
“Of course, my lord. This is Mina, one of my officers, and Corvo, my tactician.”
“Officer, huh? Looks a bit small for that role.” A pretty looking noble woman standing to the side of the duke simpered.
A faint frost filled the air, but Mina managed to restrain herself. Feeling the chill, the duke’s gaze wandered over to Mina, taking in her bright red, curly hair before his eyes widened in surprise.
“A Witch of the Frozen North?”
This time it was Thorn’s turn to be surprised, though he could tell from the collective gasp that he was not the only one. Quickly running through his memory, Thorn was positive that he had never heard the title Witch of the Frozen North. The center of everyone’s attention, Mina straightened up to her full height and nodded to the duke.
“It has been some time since we have been graced with the presence of your order.”
Though the duke’s tone was respectful, Thorn could sense the edge in his words. His eyes narrowing, Thorn expanded his [Spiritual Sense], locking on to everything in the immediate vicinity just in case. As the formless energy spread around him, the duke’s eyes flickered to Thorn and he seemed to catch himself. Taking a small step back, the duke uttered a forced laugh and turned his attention away from Mina.
“Earl Greymane, I must compliment you. It is not everyone who is able to command one of the Witches of the Frozen North. Come, let us begin the banquet.”
With Duke Carlton leading the way, Thorn, Mina, and Corvo were soon seated at one of the tables spread around the room. While not at the main table, Thorn found himself seated with one of the other earls who had a holding in the Ironhold Duchy. Sitting on either side of Duke Carlton were the duchy’s two marquis and their retainers while the four earls, including Thorn, sat at two tables nearby. The rest of the tables were occupied by the viscounts and barons that had come to support the Ironhold Duke and the various officers who served under him.
Once everyone was seated, Duke Carlton waved a hand and a small army of servers began to bring out steaming piles of meats, savory pies, cooked vegetables, and other hearty foods. Wine and ale began to make their rounds as well, and soon the whole tent was filled with cheerful talking.
“Excuse me, can you pass me that duck? Is that duck?”
Hearing a voice from the end of the table, Thorn turned to look at the speaker. Short, fat, and bright red in the face, the person asking had his eyes fixed anxiously on a large plate of duck meat that Thorn was in the process of emptying onto his plate. Dressed in what should have been the latest fashion, his clothes were so sloppily worn that, for a moment, Thorn was not sure if he was a beggar who had slipped into the tent.
“Ooooooh, I’ll take those pies, too.”
Somehow, the fat young man managed to keep an eye on the plate of duck meat while pointing out three different pies that were on Thorn’s side of the table. Bemused, Thorn was about to point out that there were pies at both ends of the table when he realized that the pies dishes in front of the fat young man were all empty.
“Uh, sure.”
Handing the plate of meat down the table, Thorn slid the pies down after it. Under his amused gaze the young man piled up the meat on his plate and then cut the pies into quarters, all the while gulping down his saliva.
“My name is Thorn. I’m…”
“Earl Greymane. I know, I know.”
Looking slightly annoyed, the fat young man waved Thorn away and began to shovel food into his mouth. As he was about to take another bite a delicate hand appeared behind him and slammed into the back of his head, causing him to nearly faceplant into his plate. A stern-faced woman in an officer’s uniform stood up and gave Thorn a bow.
“Please excuse his manners, Earl Greymane. This sorry excuse for a human is Bothswern Fitswirth Blaige. The seventh Earl of Scorchfrost.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Earl Scorchfrost.” Thorn nodded to the fat young man, who was cleaning the grease from his nose, before turning his attention to the stern-faced woman. “And you are?”
“Captain Falcher, my lord,” said the woman, giving Thorn a salute. “I act as Earl Scorchfrost’s aide and the commander of his army.”
Before Thorn could reply, a shadow fell over Thorn’s table and he realized that the volume of the conversation in the tent had dipped. With a small sigh he looked up at the three men who walked up to his table. All three of them had a hard look about them that matched their military uniforms perfectly.
“Well, well, well. Earl Greymane and the Earl of Scorchfrost. Who would have thought that you would both be at the same table?”
The man who spoke had a scar that split one of his eyebrows, granting him a dashing and dangerous air. One of the officers next to him chuckled and smoothed back his thick blonde hair as he chimed in.
“Not that surprising really. Both come from worth
less holdings in the north.”
“Yeah, nothing but tundra and mountains.” The third officer said, leering at Captain Falcher.
Her expression unchanging, the Captain’s hand dropped to her sword only to find a greasy hand in the way.
“Ignore them. Nothing good will come of fighting,” said the fat earl, continuing to shove food into his mouth.
“Haha, fat and a coward, I guess.” The blonde officer laughed.
“I told you. He’s got no backbone. You owe me five gold,” the scarred officer in the center said, holding out his hand to the blonde officer.
Watching the three officers with interest, Thorn sniffed slightly, a faint but familiar scent causing his eyes to settle on the scarred officer in the center.
“What about you, Earl Greymane? Do you have a backbone?”
“Corvo?” Thorn asked, completely ignoring the blonde officer’s question.
Looking up from the chicken he was working on, the Elf ran his eyes over the three officers quickly and nodded toward Thorn.
“I asked you a question, Earl. It isn’t nice to ignore someone, is it?” The blonde officer’s voice took on a slightly harder edge as he leaned over the table toward Thorn.
“It is even less polite to walk up without introducing yourself,” Mina said from next to Thorn.
“Oh, you’re absolutely right!” The blonde officer placed his hand on his chest as he pretended to be taken aback. “My name is Ritter. Major Ritter. This is Major Cline, and Lieutenant Colonel Rivera.”
“Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Rivera. Majors.” Thorn nodded toward them, smiling affably. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, we just came to meet you.” Lieutenant Colonel Rivera said. “We were curious about such a famous person. You are quite famous, you know.”
“Would you like an autograph?” Thorn asked innocently, causing Mina to giggle even as the three officers’ faces hardened.