by Han Yang
The back half consisted of three materials. A crystal shell that transitioned into chitin armor and then a tin bottom.
“This mountain range is huge. I’m no expert Bradley, but Hexpa avoided going up. The higher you go in mountains, the bigger the creatures of the wild become. Just a guess, and Corvo would know more, but I figure that high up produces its own challenges for an army.
“There are valleys in these mountains that could be wondrous to exploit if we do decide to manage the areas around the city,” Joana said.
The legs stopped kicking, allowing me to slice open the chest with my steamdagger. A basic small orb plopped out. I stuck the hydrox into my blade, consuming the full amount.
“Maybe a bit too optimistic to think we can tackle such mighty adventures... I’m sour for a few reasons. I didn’t get enough sleep, and I understand. Resetting for daytime only makes sense. That and the others were hankering to kill spiders,” I said.
Joana wheeled the mini cart with a tug on the rope, letting us see further into the tunnel. We heard skittering, clacking, and smacking up ahead.
I paused to say, “Also I remember fighting a demon yesterday. I asked Corvo what we fought. He said a slugferra with certainty.
“I leaned in to whisper to him, telling him he was wrong. He gave me the benefit of the doubt and I asked how does a slugferra lull a 93 warrior to sleep. He said ‘they don’t.’ His face became frightened.
“A man with thousands of kills, who has commanded hundreds of battles, finds himself scared in my mere presence. So I’m off. I… I think things are going to get worse before they get better. Which is why I kinda shrug off thoughts of venturing into mountains or building a blimp tower.”
“Wanna vent for a bit and kill some antlents?” Joana asked in a chipper tone.
I nodded, bending down to pluck a rock off the floor. I tossed the stone off the wall and into a room at the end of the tunnel.
A dozen little antlent came rushing for us in three neat orderly lines.
A downward arc cleaved the first creature, enraging the others. We backpedaled beyond the light cart: swiping, stomping, and jabbing. The battle was brief, easily won.
“That felt good,” Joana said with a huff. “So…”
I walked by the dead antlents, triggering my weapon to off. I set it in the sheath readying for the main room with Darcy out in case this was the boss.
When I entered the small room, I saw four tunnels and a patch of ore glistening off the wall. No boss here and no more antlents.
“Hey steambots! First room secured,” I shouted up the tunnel. I paused, running a hand down the wall where the iron ore rested. “Sorry, I’m fearing the worst at the moment. You care if we mine for a bit?”
“That demon really shook you up,” Joana said.
I grimaced. “Demonic mage. And yeah.” I sighed. “He did. My goals are aligned with settling, growing, and being happy. I already have Hexpa spying on me, Langshire trying to kill me, and Portin voting on war.”
“Darden, don’t forget Darden.” Joana teased, getting me to lighten up.
I headed for the surface for tools. Steambots hissed and creaked as they cleaned up the limited loot. It was easy to forget how chilling wind could be until you get slapped around by it again.
We went into the carriage for mining picks. I… That was honestly the reason we went in there. Joana happened to want to lighten the mood… a few times. There was some carriage rocking with delightful moments.
An hour later we left the carriage with wild hair and big grins, heading back into the cave. I whistled a tune with a pickaxe over my shoulder.
“You sure seems better,” Joana said with a grin.
I giggled, extending my hand for her to hold. “You have that dazzling effect on me.”
“Probably never a good time to ask, but I can’t imagine a day without you and Ginli. Where are you on that?”
A few head tosses back and forth partially answered for me. “Not sure. I figure when we get our manor we can the big talk. Does that work for you?”
“It does,” Joana said with a happy nod. “I just want you to realize I’m not the only one smitten by you. It’d be nice if you indulged in life a bit.”
“That… later. A talk for later. I guess I get wrapped up in the needs of others. We need that gem mine, we need a warehouse, a dock upgrade, a breeding program for our cart animals, new boats to increase fishing, more housing, a training area, and hell, we haven’t even started our manor.”
“Yes my, Baron Lord there is so much to do, and infinite amounts of winter to do it in,” Joana said with a tease.
We arrived at the mining spot where the steambots were continuing an outline for an eventual cart. “I wanted to ask you. What do you want, Joana?”
“Besides the upgrades?” she asked.
I nodded. “I’m talking about the near future.”
She leaned against the mining pick, pondering her answer. “I didn’t expect to be a mother. Maybe Gearnix is changing, or I just got lucky, or you are truly blessed by the divine.
“Either way, being a mom is going to be… challenging. The problem is we don’t have a home for our child to grow up in. We… we have a carriage and a bar room with no bed in it,” Joana said, laughing at the thought of our bears destroying our stuff.
“Right,” I said, walking up to the wall. “The future holds many endeavors. All made easier with you at my side.”
“Creating a better tomorrow starts right her Bradley, with this very ore,” Joana said, taking the first swing.
I smashed the tip of the mining pick into purple ore, fracturing a chunk off. I wasn’t sure if this is how it worked, but it sure felt good.
We smashed ore chunks to the ground for the next hour until Leon and Lei arrived.
“Can we help?” Leon asked.
Joana looked to her father and said, “Burned out on killin things. You guys mind clearin?”
The duo broke into grins, heading down a tunnel. I went and hugged my lovely lady. We held each other like that for a few minutes.
“I’m glad I met you Joana. When I arrived here on Gearnix, that… that love I saw between your parents frightened me. Now, I’d like nothing more,” I said.
She shook her head, booping my nose with hers. “Better get back to work then. We have a whole lot to accomplish. That blimp station isn’t going to build itself.”
“Or the trolleys, fishing vessels, arena, casino, and… yeah I better get to work. That is the best part of Gearnix. If you hunker down, work hard, and have a great team at your side - you can achieve anything.”
“What’s next?” Joana asked, setting her pick against the wall.
“Well I’d like to get upgrades, build a house for my growing family, and put Norn back on the map. All while managing the politics of being a Baron Lord. Will you join me on the coming adventure?” I asked with a charming smile.
She delicately sauntered inches from my face. “I’d love nothing more than to build a future with you. Hopefully everyone leaves us alone, and the wilds just fall over to give us free loots!” she said with a giggle.
I watched her get back to work, determined to make a better tomorrow. With a giant grin, I picked up my tool and joined her.
Epilogue
LANGSHIRE
Charlie puffed out cheeks with air until he huffed mightily to express his frustration. Tarco was not going to be happy. His recent promotion to Vice Tycoon came at a cost, killing off the competition.
There was a calm over the city finally, and then this.
His knuckles wrapped on the door, dancing out the code Tarco insisted on. He shook his head at the foolishness of the notion. The news he had to deliver though, worried him.
“Enter,” Tarco said in a commanding tone.
The older man didn’t even bother glancing up when Charlie entered.
Charlie lugged in a moderately heavy chest that a steambot said was waiting for him at the Gearnix City Station. The n
ote on the box said for Tarco - Tycoon Lord of Langshire.
The city managerbot informed him they had an active war now. A first in… a while. When he saw Norn he cursed. He swore up a storm, hesitant to this very moment.
He told Tarco not to go after Ginli. Pleaded with him to let her go. She was weeks away by blimp and would never be a threat. The Mistress’s supporters towed the line of the new dictatorship with ease.
The transition had been smooth, and yet, he wanted her dead. Her and that Bradley fellow. The one with half a brain, they both were harmless. Alas, he was the Vice Tycoon, and apparently still slated for menial tasks.
“What is that?” Tarco asked, giving a minimal side glance.
“From the station managerbot. Said a gift for the Langshire Tycoon,” Charlie said with a scoff.
Tarco snickered. “Like how they give gifts to expecting mothers for the babes?”
“I don’t know. I opened it up, you know to ensure it didn’t go boom,” he said and Tarco set his ink pen into the holder.
“Right. Nothing to do with you being curious. If yer weren’t my nephew I’d think you'd be cheatin me,” Tarco said with a sigh. “So what was in it?”
“Bunch of high end parts. What they build into, no clue,” Charlie said, setting the box in front of Tarco.
He plopped down in a seat across the desk to wait to be told to carry the box out.
“Hey… you forget to mention the big news?” Tarco said.
Charlie snickered. “What? That your assassins failed and Ginli owns a city now. No. I didn’t fail to mention that. If I did you’d get -”
“Bitter and tell you to shut the hell up. Yeah, smart call kid. By the gods I hate the paperwork of this place. Haven’t found a buyer for the gamblin boat, adventurers are boycotting my new tax, and the fish are drying up. About time my luck turned with a gift from Gearnix,” Tarco said.
Charlie shook his head. The man had it easy his whole life. To hear him complain was grating. Charlie moved the chair beside his to prop his legs up. He folded his hands in his lap, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.
There was a creak of Tarco opening the chest. The man grumbled at what he saw. A moment later he heard Tarco breaking the seal on the letter that Charlie had seen on the box.
“Is this a joke of yours Charlie…? This letter is made out to you. No you’d be too dumb to -”
There was a thud from the desk. Servos whined and steam hissed. There were venturebots in the room guarding the Tycoon Lord. These whirls were tighter, smaller, and odd.
Charlie peeked a single eye open. A six inch steambot faced him at the edge of the desk, extending a letter for Charlie. A letter opener was held in the robot’s arm like a lance. The tip of the metal dripped blood.
“Take the letter Charlie,” the tiny robot said with a pleasant tone.
He peered around the box to see a very dead Tarco. Blood trailed out of his eye. There was a hole the size of a letter opener. Charlie gulped, figuring out he was in serious trouble.
Gearnix itself had killed his uncle. A feat no one would believe.
He grabbed the letter and the tiny steambot disassembled. The parts tumbled down in a scattering pile, removing any evidence of how his uncle truly died.
“Well… shit,” Charlie muttered. “Didn’t want to be the boss.”
The venturebots who guarded the room were stoic.
“Do you answer to me now?” Charlie asked the useless guards.
“Read the letter,” they replied in a freaky unison.
Dear Charlie,
Send an offering of peace to Norn. The horses and steambots you stole from Ginli should do nicely. When they accept, forget you ever saw Bradley of Ocarna. Stick this note in the fireplace. Oh, and Tycoon Charlie, nothing personal.
Gearnix
The venturebots dragged the body out with him asking. Charlie liked to believe he was no fool. He walked over the fireplace, started a fire, and burnt the note.
A lot of thoughts turned over in his mind. Should he retire? Would there be another struggle to unseat him? The note called him Tycoon Charlie. A position he didn’t want, didn’t have any expertise in, and would probably loathe.
One thing was certain. A blimp would be leaving tomorrow to Hexpa. He’d summon a train for Norn the moment he could to return Ginli’s items and hope for peace.
The last thing he needed was Gearnix wanting him dead. Making up his mind, Charlie went over to the big chair.
He sat down, penning his very first letter. An apology to a Baron Lord named Bradley.
HEXPA
“Tell me this is a flipping joke,” Leslie hollered, balling up the report and throwing it at the nearest soldier at the side of the room.
The council was in session around a large oak desk. There were a few amused members seated, most were troubled, and that made sense because this was troubling news.
The guard she hit with a paper ball was a veterans with unwavering loyalty, unlike that shit Corvo. Leslie seethed. Decorum be damned.
“Corvo flipping quit! After we gave into his demands, he quits! I want spies in Norn and agents playing this kid for the fool he is. For over a decade we have bribed, coerced, and finagled that cesspool into the sorry state it was. We will -”
A voice cleared. Lanisha had come to the meeting with information. “I… I have my own sources, Supreme Member Leslie. The treasure of Norn is mostly raw materials. I have double confirmed. Norn is now without its warehouse of riches.”
Gasps filled the room. There was stunned silence.
Leslie flopped into her seat. So many problems were piling on at once. “Very well,” Leslie said with a sigh. She turned to the pompous man who had taken Corvo’s seat but never filled his shoes. “General Roxabar. Your plan is a go.”
He slid out a folder from a briefcase. Two sheets of paper were handed to each council member. Leslie knew both options by heart.
Option A: install two teams into Norn as immigrants. Have them farm the local wilds, observe patiently, report often, and send the excess hydrox to help Hexpa.
Option B: send an elite unit, kill Baron Lord Bradley, and install their own dictator to control the city and its access to the wilds.
When all the paperwork was delivered, General Roxabar stood and said, “I vote A. For now.”
Leslie stared daggers at the man. He was supposed to go over all the great reasons to kill the little shit sitting in his tiny city. The vote leaned A so heavily that even Leslie conceded and voted that way.
In her mind, one thing was certain. Bradley’s rule would be short.
PORTIN
A fire crackled in front of two men sipping brandy. A young busty woman came over to top off their drinks.
Both men had grown used to the finer things in life. Both men were also retired killers who helped their councils with problems. Advisors of a different sort.
“How’s Darden?” Marin asked Lemix.
He sipped his drink. “Stable, with some minor issues. You know, just how I like it. Work has been slow.”
“We have a job,” Marin offered.
Lemix was no fool. Portin had seen a decline in trade while Hexpa and Darden saw increases. This all stemmed from Norn. The local problem city of the region.
Lemix smacked his lips and said, “The treasure is gone, hiring me will not make it reappear.”
“Our birds tell us there is a war afoot. Maybe even Hexpa becomes involved. More importantly, there was a protest today in Portin. Four people, demanding to reopen trade with Norn,” Marin said.
Lemix shook his head. “We have problems too. It gets worse than four disgruntled traders.”
“Oh… do tell,” Marin said.
Lemix knew he would delight in both the news of Darden’s problems and the free information. “We had a posting go up on our local tourism board. Mundane stuff normally. Someone from Norn is paying a premium for about twenty five basic jobs.”
“Exodus?” Marin asked with a raised
brow.
Lemix knew Marin was smart enough to make the connection. “Yup, the note didn’t say much besides the council is going to be weighing options. Did yours vote?” Lemix asked, knowing the answer.
Marin scoffed. “No. Why vote when we can just fix the problem. Hence why I called you to this meeting. We need him gone.”
“So do we.” Lemix fired back.
The old men smiled at each other warmly, understanding they were at an impasse. Both wanted to hire the other to kill Baron Bradley.
Neither wanted it tied to them. Lemix shifted the conversation onto another topic.
Tomorrow both of them would be on flights further away from the area to hire assassins. A young noble stirring dissent and ruining the treasure of a fallen Norn would pay for his audacity.
If there was one thing both retired assassins were certain of, it was that Baron Bradley wouldn’t live to see next winter.
AFTERWORD
What a ride! This was an epic adventure to write. Seeing the artwork, I know… amazing. Round of applause for H.K. We started working together on discord and the story got a whole added set of worldbuilding.
Where do we go from here? Well, there are a few things that depend on how this book performs.
I’d love to do an audiobook for this. Would be amazing. However audiobooks are crazy expensive and to be fair, most LN readers come for the images.
A book 2 is inevitable. If you want to encourage me, kindly leave a review. A nice review would help, like a lot. Please and thank you. Until book two.
Han!