I cried out in joy. Xar joined me in our celebration happy to be alive. The griffins back at the base camp sent fireballs into the sky. It was a telling moment. This was the turning of the war. If the peace accords dropped we were set to push the Horde back. If they stayed in place we could purge the lands around our cities in defiance. Even stop the spreading invasion that continued south.
∞∞∞
I had flown home to Fernlan that night. Two dozen griffins helped me bring back my people and supplies. Lord Nova had sworn me to secrecy, and then I forced everyone who saw the griffins cast magic to the same secret. I did not think it would stay hidden but I hoped those that heard would dismiss it as wild rumors. While we were heading to Fernlan across the Empire the casks of golem goo were being hidden. Lord Nova said we must prepare thoroughly before we went on a full scale attack. There were people far more important than me who would be making big decisions in the coming days. I went back to my home to build while they strategized.
I could not have been happier either. Our flight of griffins arrived well after dark, and we got to surprise Velia in our bed. Luckily she had the foresight to purchase a second and third bed. They were far more comfortable now. I squished my way into the middle of my three beautiful wives and went to sleep.
There was no nightmare that night, and I awoke to someone trying to shut the door quietly. The hinges creaked showing their age. I did not mind, it was Pipi probably going to get Vern or us some breakfast. I decided to rise and cook for once. Something I rarely did.
I went into the Inn's kitchen and made some scrambled duck eggs with runtlet chunks. I brought the delicious dish that I kept picking at to Velia and Bella for breakfast in bed. They were so appreciative that they tried to seduce me. I was interested but made them a deal. The next bedroom adventure would be all of us together. I thought it was only fair, all the girls got private time, but now we could figure out how it would work when everyone was together. They teased fake pouts, then got ready for the day. It was cute to watch them get ready by torchlight and little mirrors.
I donned on my heavy armor because I was going to be somewhat cool compared to the lava. I figured the extra protection was nice. If I had to go swim to get fish for whatever reason I could always get naked but the raft should work fine. My to do list for this morning was to gather the fish while it was still cool out. Then when the sun came out in full force I would start to hang torches in Dais for lighting.
I gave my two lovely wives who were doing each other's hair a kiss goodbye. I strutted out of the Inn and into the early morning sun in a great mood. The blazing ball of gas was cresting the horizon to illuminate the village. I got to see how much change had occurred since I was gone. The plots that were partially cleared, were now fully cleaned up. No hazard buildings still stood. The structures that remained had evidence of recent repairs with clean wood contrasting old wood. When I got to the ramp to the western fields I saw the shacks were all replaced with a few sturdy small houses that decorated the land. My half shed was removed and a proper barn had been erected. The space for my manor was cleared and construction started.
The tunnel to Dais was enlarged. A nice sign over the entrance displayed the name of the cavern. Wide doors were open allowing entry. To the right of that, the dig out that Lydia had birthed her cubs in had a cloth covering. I could hear the gentle noises of the cubs. It was still early morning so I let them be and meandered through the field towards the eastern gate.
A map was posted much like a displayed sign. There was a fire pit and some benches that indicated a place to plan before braving the wild lands. I ran a hand over the wooden map and marveled at its details. The entire little briefing area was another stark change to what Fernlan used to be. There was so much progress here. Including a wind and watermill that had propped up on the creek. A sawmill beside it. The entire village was now a town and that was not including Dais.
I was excited to go down and visit it. To check on the progress and start putting illuminating torches to bring light to the cavern. I dropped that thought and prepared myself for exiting the wild lands. I rang the little gong that hung by the map. A griffin I did not recognize landed a few moments later.
“Ah, Earl Gryff, I did not expect you. Una has been leading her men out into the wild lands as of late. They normally start the day after the first meal. I am Wina, of former Malvia pride. How may I assist you this morning ?” The female griffin Wina said. She was a light blue feather tipped griffin with a dull yellow swatter ball.
“A recon of the river where I set my fish lines please and any details of the area I need to be aware of,” I said as I ran my hand across the finely carved map in awe.
“Well, a team of six ogres has moved into fields west of here. They have been staying back from the barrier in the hopes you or someone from Fernlan wanders too far. Every time they get too close to Una and her team we warn them back to safety. On the eastern side, a team of large orcs has been setting traps all-around key trails. It has made traveling into the wild lands more dangerous, and more often than not the Fearless Company has been forced to retreat. If I had to guess you killing that chieftain has caused the word to reach some of the elite squads. They are hunting aggressively in the area. To the far north, there are massive armies vying for dominance of the orc city. Up to five chieftains are battling over that location to establish a winner. The old residents have already been overrun and slaughtered. It is not clear who will win as the fighting still continues. Thousands have died in the combat up there. Much has changed in this area since you have been gone .”
I struggled to stay focused. The thought of killing six ogres raced in my head. I had the fast firing ballista, it would maybe kill two or three. Yeah, it could hand that many, what to do about...
“Hey, you in there ?” Wina said while waving a paw at me.
“Sorry, yeah. Doing some planning. Was thinking about...” I was interrupted.
“Before you go too far, Lord Nova sent word that if you go charging into a bad situation all us griffins can do is scare tactics or fake attack runs. We will not be using fire magic right now. King Horus and King Aves intend to hold meetings here in the new griffin capital. They are wanting to unlock all the magic they can from all the different auras before exposing more to the Horde. There is no if and or butts. There is too much on the line. Consider the destruction of the orc settlement your big climactic event for the next few weeks. The griffins and humans have figured out enough to make progress with or without you. Not saying they do not value you, but you are only one man. So before you charge off to attack six ogres with an inferior slow weapon, yes I have seen your mobile ballista, do not. Go get some fish and I can keep you safe and warn you if something approaches. Thanks, Gryff, you are the best. ” Wina said sweetly as if speaking to a toddler.
I... but... Awe. I was a little heartbroken. I imagined how much good six ogre hearts could do and my murder thoughts took over. She was not wrong though. I inhaled a deep and nodded my acceptance and defeat. I had a full agenda already today.
I checked my gear before I left. I was in full combat armor, with short sword and shield. My purse was on my end table. I looked around for Deb but the little monox was nowhere to be seen. Even the wolves were missing, probably still sleeping. I did have my fish ringer though and some bait in the form of mystery meat.
I was ready. I left the barrier with the tingling feeling and Wina launched into the air to scout. I decided not to grumble and walked down the creek toward the river. I did not want to linger out here with the increased activity. Wina would warn me if something approached but no point in taking too long on my task. I picked up a slow run and arrived to the river’s edge quickly.
I checked the first line I had set. It was still and calm. That changed as soon as I pulled on it. These lines had five hooks on them and getting the entire catch in was a struggle. There were four fat ratfi
sh that I landed on the shore. They flopped around loudly and I was doing my best to dispatch them quickly.
“Excuse me.” A voice said from behind me. It was clear and concise, spoken with an odd accent. I figured one of Una's men was behind me and kept working. I wondered why Wina had not said anything.
“Excuse me, I come wearing the white for a talk. Do you accept my term of truce for negotiation?” The voice said.
Okay, clearly not one of Una's men. They had the drop on me, well enough to kill me if they had wanted. So I was decided to stay calm and keep stabbing at the constantly flopping ratfish.
“I agree to your terms. I am Gryff, Earl of Fernlan. Well met stranger,” I said.
“Great, peaceful talks may commence. I am Virtue, Shaman Master of the planet you humans call Vin. I have heard word of you from the Emperor. You slew one of my chieftains. I paid handsomely to get that crown back. More than a hundred thousand crowns. Failure does not suit me or those who serve me, hence the battles that rage north of here. Oh, make sure that griffin does not warn the others when she sees me.”
“Of course, I have heard of the battles to the north. Always good to get the best leader for the job right. You do not fear the griffins?” I asked testing if he knew of the fire magic. As we talked I moved to the next fish line, still keeping my back to the shaman. I figured if he was not going to kill me least I could do is keep getting the fish for the village. Three fish this line.
“The accords protect all the Horde from those savage beasts. I swear if they were never here I would not have to talk to that stupid Emperor of yours. Which brings me to my point. You have caused me great trouble Gryff. Less so about the Horde you have killed. And more about the power you have stolen from your Emperor Salvoni and his son King Devon. Getting the griffins to rebel has left them lame as leaders. I wanted to come in person to congratulate you. You have destroyed my plans, and solidified the griffin and human relationship. King Horus will be the new person in charge soon, and he will not truce talk to me. This is, in essence, my goodbye to the winning side for now.” Virtue said.
I gilled the three ratfish on the stringer sensing the shaman was done with his talk. I had very little to say, maybe a few questions. I decided to face him and when I did the unexpected happened.
The shaman shouted in surprise when he saw my face. I raised my empty hands knowing how strict contract magic was. I was confused but wanted to be clear I posed no threat.
The shaman carried a glass staff six feet long. A black catalyst swam in the top half and a white catalyst danced with sparks in the bottom. His robes were white, clean, and fancy with frills and curls. Besides his sunken golden eyes and green skin he looked human. He raised a shaking unsteady arm and pointed at me.
“I had you killed on Earth, not even a year ago. How is this possible? It could only mean... No, she would not have, but... The griffins... Could it be, yes it must be? We must retreat... Yes surrender here and strike elsewhere... Or we can bring more... The contracts will forbid it though.”
The shaman paced back and forth. Lost in his own thoughts while I stood there and tried hard to remember everything he was muttering. I wish I had a pen and paper, wait I did have my map and pen. I started to note take and got most of it down when I saw he had stopped and was staring at me. I guess I could speak now.
“I died on Earth, like the mother planet of humanity Earth, or on dirt?” I asked.
“You have no memories, do you? I know this about you as you were the general that frustrated my forces so defiantly for two years. Your father died in a mining accident, your mother killed herself when she was young. You never gave up on becoming something better than your mother though. You strove to be an Olympic athlete. In 2779 you did blood work for the events. That blood work got the attention of that vile mastermind Empress. That frustrating woman caused our invasions of human planets endless trouble.” The shaman grumbled and kicked the dirt.
If I had died then was that a clone? Were we both clones? Was my body still alive, or was this all part of an elaborate simulation?
“I have to say I am not buying your story. Humanity could drop bombs, laser your troops, and close every portal you ever opened. The Horde are weak compared to humans.” I said planning to continue but he interrupted with a cackle of a laugh.
“You are delusional, they really did send you here with a fresh mind. Let me guess the last thing you remember is the 2779 death race in which you died. Well here is a news flash, it is 2792. Muarta is an old god of ours, so old he predates this universe, and transversed to this cosmos billions of years ago. I tell you this because you think your fancy electric ships and high tech weapons are superior to the Horde. Do not feel bad, many species rationalize that as technology advances it protects them more from potential enemies. Muarta is a god against technology. He is one of our founding gods. Muarta is one of the six who created our rules and bound them with contracts. We do not invade planets from massive starships. We gather enough electrons to open portals. Muarta can dial into any planet's core and open a gateway to the planet's surface with enough power. There is never a need to travel any other way. Every planet that orbits a sun, in what you humans call the goldilocks zone, we send a small portal to. We send a test goblin and if the goblin comes back we can colonize it. If the goblin does not come back we send a few orcs, then a few ogres. We send enough for some to return in case they meet hostile life forms at the portal. We always end up learning if we can inhabit it or not.” Virtue said as if everything he was telling me was a fact.
I sighed and thought this over. Thirteen years had passed, that made some sense given my older look here on Vin. The Horde did use portals so it could work that way. My best option was to let him finish.
“Have you heard of nullifier magic?” The shaman asked outstretching his hands.
“I have, it was in a conversation with a friend,” I said not wanting to give away anything to this creature. The fact was I knew very little about it.
“Yes, well let me tell you more. We have a spell, it comes directly from Muarta, and feeds him. He is the spell creator, we shamans are his catalyst, and the intake of all electrons is the execution of the spell. Did you understand what I said?” He asked.
“It is a bit vague but I think I got it. You have an ancient god that comes from a different universe. This god uses the shamans of the Horde as a catalyst to steal electrons. This spell turns every piece of equipment that runs on electricity off?” I asked.
If that were true the effects it would have on an advanced human world would be catastrophic. I remembered my time on Swan, I had devices everywhere that ran off electricity. I struggled to find much that relied on old technology like propellants or gas. Sure there were some items in museums but everything had been converted to energy efficiency centuries earlier.
“Correct, it steals and shuts down all electric devices and storage containers. The first world we found with humans was called Essex. It was a tech world and had very few actual humans on it. It was almost fully digital, a haven for escaped, rescued, and born artificial intelligences. This was how we learned of your master, the Empress. With one spell we wiped out every defense. Every electron in the atmosphere of that world was stolen. Any satellites, spaceports, and spacecraft that tried to beam communications down were pinpointed and targeted. The spell is not instant but nearly as fast as light. With distance, it makes it much harder to disable electrical use. Needless to say, anything close to the planet had its electrons stolen and feed to Muarta. The gracious god that he is used those electrons to funnel more portals to more habitable planets.
“It took us a while to find humanity's hub of stars. The Horde councils and upper echelons were excited at the prospect of a worthy foe. New Spain was the first human dominated planet that we found in 2785. Once we had your cluster of stars down it was quick work opening the portals and launching our war. We found your
species wanting. Do you know what a human who is trained, domesticated, and dependent on electricity does when it is stripped from them? Hint, it is not fighting valiantly. Most commit suicide when the realization that they have to fend for themselves hits as reality. Those that might want to take up arms realize the modern weapons no longer function. They tried desperately to recreate your propellant weapons of the past. You have seen my caravans marching south, by the millions, some by the tens of millions. They do not allow time for our enemies to build anew. Especially when a species so dependent on technology finds itself without it.”
I listened and could see some valid points the shaman was making but I did not still believe everything he was saying. I was not sure what it would take to accept his words as truth.
“Is there a way you can prove any of this?” I asked running my hands through my hair in frustration that maybe this shaman was telling the truth.
“I can but I would have to portal jump us to a distant planet. It will be fine and the agreement we made will protect you the entire time.” Virtue said.
I weighed my options and decided I would go with him. I had to know.
“Lead the way,” I said.
The shaman opened a portal the size of a human and I ducked into it. The moment I entered there was blackness...
CHAPTER 15
My vision returned and I stood on a blue planet. Not blue as in water, but blue as in the starlight of a blue giant. We marched over loose gravel that crunched loudly. In front of us, a simple pre-fabricated building waited. The rivets and bindings gave away the door. Virtue place a palm on a box that scanned his hand.
A hiss and a beep and the door parted. I edged into the space uncertain of what we were walking into. An old man slumped behind a desk, asleep with a tablet playing a video quietly. I noticed it was a news broadcast and aptly paid attention.
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