The Fifth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  “The next defendant,” Egbert said.

  He went through all of the bandits and then talked to the other police officer. Egbert finally laid down his quill. The courtroom was silent.

  “Swearing an oath to Alva, you gain our protection, you gain our support and you are beholden to our rules. In times of need, we will aid you, but going against the rules and the oath that you have sworn? If it is a minor infraction, you will be excommunicated by Alva and given a silencing oath. With what you have done, the oath will be amended and revised so that if this happens again we will know about it sooner. I do not know how many people fell victim to you cruel individuals, and it will be impossible to help them all. I see no reason to allow you to continue to live. You are a plague and an infection that only harms. You will be executed. Your names will be stripped from all records. There will be no record of you ever existing—no legacy, no mention in history. Upon your death, you will cease to be.”

  A chill ran through Viggo. In the Ten Realms, a core part of their guiding principles was to create a grave for those who had passed away and to go and see them continuously, paying respect to one’s ancestors, making sure to keep strict records of one’s lineage. They would look to add to their lineage, setting up the younger generation to do better in the future.

  “All of your items will be sold and the monetary value will be split up and passed on to the survivors of this ordeal, without taxation or stipulation. Alva does not accept rapists, murderers, and slavers. See that the sentence is carried out immediately.” Egbert looked to the police officers and then waved his hand. A silencing and weakness spell fell on them all.

  Viggo wanted to yell and scream; this couldn’t be right—there was no way.

  Egbert looked at them all with cold eyes before shaking his head in disappointment. He shuffled his papers together as Viggo and his people were hauled out of the courtroom and into a room, where one of the police officers pulled out a sword and stabbed it into the first bandit. They gulped like a fish as they died. The police officer moved forward, his sword like a machine, cutting them all down.

  Viggo didn’t have any time to accept his fate as that sword stabbed into his stomach.

  He coughed as he felt the poison on the blade racing through his veins. He watched as the first man’s tombstone was looted and the body started to turn into motes of light.

  Fear and unwillingness filled him as the poison reached his brain.

  Chapter: Help From Afar

  Elise looked over the city. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. “It’s massive,” she whispered.

  “Yeah. All the more room for people to mess up in,” Rugrat chimed in.

  She shot him a questioning look as they continued on their way toward the counters that would allow them into Vuzgal.

  Rugrat’s Vuzgal medallion had the guard standing aside and saluting Rugrat. He made sure that his cloak covered his appearance as he waited for Elise to follow and headed off into the busy city.

  “I’ve never seen a totem so busy before,” Elise said.

  “People here have a lot more money to burn. You’ve got to remember the people from the Sixth and Fifth Realms come down here to increase their skills. To them, an Earth-grade mana stone is just loose change.”

  “Loose change I hope to scoop up,” Elise said with a devious grin.

  “Do Alva proud.” Rugrat put both thumbs up, a grin on his face.

  “Shouldn’t you be looking after these people? Aren’t they your citizens, after all?”

  “I only consider the people who are part of the military, the Vuzgal Crafters Academy, as well as the administration, as part of our people. The rest are people using Vuzgal in some way or another.”

  “That’s a cold way to look at it.”

  “It’s a realistic way to look at it.”

  Elise fell silent. Her mind had unconsciously turned to those traders who had become bandits in the Second Realm.

  Elise looked around the city, seeing their Sky Reaching Restaurants that reached up into the sky. Wayside Inns dotted the landscape.

  “Looks like the crafter workshop has finally been completed.” Rugrat used his chin to gesture at the busiest sector. “It will be the only Expert-level workshops that we have in the city for some time other than the ones in the academy. Got to have more workshops of the Journeyman class very soon.”

  “Is that why you are selling off land so slowly?”

  “Partly. If we sell them all in one go, then they’re going to go at lower prices. We only have so much land that we can sell. With time, as we increase our position in the Fourth Realm, they’ll sell for more. It is also a means of population control. We don’t have the guards or the people right now to manage an entirely populated Vuzgal. With selling the land and buildings slowly, we control the flow of people. Those who were fast enough to buy land from us in the beginning will be happy to know that later on we will only be renting that out to other people.”

  “Renting it out? People won’t be pleased with that.”

  “They might not be, but it keeps Vuzgal competitive compared to other cities. If someone takes a five-, ten-, thirty-, or fifty-year lease, then they will most likely build a house up on that land. Then when we come in thirty or fifty years later to reclaim that land, we can now lease it with a brand-new house on it.”

  “Driving them to build up Vuzgal.” Elise let out an impressed noise.

  They left the city behind and reached the Castle District, passing through the Associations’ Circle. Within the circle, there were carriages of all kinds, as well as mounts and beasts. All the people who walked around were high-level crafters or traders with a significant backing.

  There were several Sky Reaching Restaurants in the locale that these people would go and visit to conduct their business deals.

  As soon as they entered the Castle District, Elise’s body relaxed. “Feels like home.” Elise sighed.

  Rugrat only smiled and pulled down his hood to reveal his face fully. “Come on. I’ll take you to Hiao Xen.” He guided Elise through the Castle District, in through the administration offices and to a massive door.

  “He’s expecting you,” the secretary said.

  “Of course he is.” Rugrat chuckled. “Thanks, Dougie.”

  The man smiled as Rugrat pushed on the door, opening it to reveal who Elise assumed to be Hiao Xen.

  “I was able to get one tailor Expert. There are three other Experts that I am waiting to hear from. Additionally, there’s a number of Journeyman crafters I have my eye on. The number of people attending the academy has only increased since you’ve been gone, as well as our revenues from those passing through the city,” Hiao Xen said, not looking up from his work as he went through report after report.

  Elise winced, looking at all of the work. Thankfully I’m not a council leader anymore.

  “Sounds like you’ve been busy while I’ve been gone. Hiao Xen, this is Elise. Elise, this is Hiao Xen.”

  Hiao Xen looked up from his work to see that there was another person in the room. “I’m sorry for my rudeness. I didn’t know that there was anyone else here,” Hiao Xen said sheepishly, letting out an awkward laugh. He stood and reached out to shake her hand.

  “It’s no worry. I know how these two can keep you working all hours.” Elise smiled, taking the offered hand. “Between us, I’m happier it’s you than me!”

  Hiao Xen’s smile became a little more honest.

  “Elise here is a friend of Erik and mine. She will be acting as our chair for the chamber of commerce, but in secret. We don’t want any of the other traders thinking that she has an advantage over them—keep them competitive, if you know what I mean.”

  “Makes sense. It’s always good to have a few feelers among the traders.”

  “Good. Then I will leave her in your capable hands to get up to date.” Rugrat clapped his hands together.

  “Before you go, Erik sent you a message through the alchemist association couri
ers that I was supposed to pass on to you.” Hiao Xen pulled out a sealed scroll.

  “Wonder what trouble he’s got himself into now,” Rugrat said, looking at the scroll and putting it away in his storage ring.

  “See you later!”

  ***

  Rugrat opened the scroll as he walked to his own quarters.

  Words started to appear on the scroll once it ascertained that Rugrat was who he really said he was.

  When he finished the scroll, it burned into ashes. He shook his hand with a distracted look.

  “Crafting techniques?”

  ***

  “Are you absolutely sure about this?” Mira asked.

  “I’m sure, my dear,” Chonglu said. “Look, I know that you’re scared but there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, trying to console her.

  “We could go to the Fighter’s Association. They would have a place for you, a place for us,” she said.

  “Do you really want Feng and Felicity to grow up in the Fighter’s Association?”

  “Don’t twist my words on me!”

  “I’m not twisting your words—I’m just asking,” Chonglu said, sounding perfectly reasonable.

  She let out an irritated noise and stomped her foot, not looking like the ice empress that she was named after at all. As a wife and a mother, she was trying to do the best by her family.

  “You all only just increased your levels recently. Shouldn’t you take more time to get used to it?”

  “Time for you to convince me to join the Fighter’s Association? Remember, I’m not like you—I don’t have any skills that they are particularly interested in. Also, I owe Erik and Rugrat. We owe Erik and Rugrat.”

  Mira let out a frustrated yell as all the fight seemed to drain from her. Even with her overwhelming power he didn’t cower in the slightest, just waiting for her to calm down.

  “I just want you to be safe,” she said in a small voice.

  Chonglu stopped checking his gear. He turned to her and took her hands in his. Even if she was many times stronger than him, she acted like a little girl.

  “We’re just going to ask if there is any way to repay them. Erik and Rugrat are good people. If not, they wouldn’t have saved Fang and Felicity or me, or told you about us.”

  “I know. It’s just that we have relied on so many other people to protect us but now I don’t trust any of them.”

  “We all have to trust someone.” Chonglu used his finger to raise her chin so she looked up at him. He was not going to quit surprising her. “Plus, it is a new adventure!”

  “You are not going adventuring with my children!”

  “Builds character!” he said with a devilish grin.

  Mira’s eyes narrowed and she grabbed his hands tighter.

  “Ow! Ouch! Dear, you really need to watch your strength,” Chonglu said in a strained voice.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t realize that sometimes.” Her grip ever so accidentally tightened again before she released his hands.

  “We’re ready to go!” the guard in charge of the convoy yelled.

  Mira and Chonglu hugged, pulling each other in tight.

  She moved to the children, hugging them again.

  They had tears in their eyes. They had only gotten to know their mother again and they were leaving.

  “Don’t worry. When you guys are all set up, then we’ll see one another all the time,” she promised.

  The two children found it hard to reply, simply nodding as they tried to contain their tears.

  Mira and Chonglu talked quietly to each other before he got onto his mount.

  The gate to the house opened and the convoy departed, heading for the city’s totem and Vuzgal beyond.

  ***

  Rugrat was looking at the report from Glosil on the continued training as forces moved down to Alva, as well as moving people from the Vuzgal Defense Force into the First Army, which would replace the Alva Army.

  Rugrat was impressed. It also changed his plans for weapons and equipment for the army.

  “If we were able to give the highest quality equipment or prototypes to the special teams, the trained army will get standard and tested weapons. Those in Vuzgal will get the last generation of weapons. If we give everyone prototypes, if they go wrong, they go wrong in a big way. The higher level weapons take longer to make and might require more skill. As people advance, they’ll get better gear and it means that the old gear and production lines don’t go to waste as fast. So Expert gear for special teams, Journeyman for higher-ups in the regular army—mortars, rifles, grenade launchers. Then repeaters and the bolt actions for the Vuzgal Defense Force,” Rugrat said.

  “We built up so many weapons it would be a shame to remove them and the infrastructure that we built up in Alva to supply them with ammunition. Over time, we can transition them to the new weapon systems.”

  Rugrat smiled. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” He signed off on the new orders and agreed to them as a sound transmission came in.

  “City Lord, there is someone saying that they are called Chonglu and that you know them personally?”

  “Where is he?” Rugrat sat up in his seat. Erik had filled him in on what had happened in the First Realm.

  “It’s not just him, sir. He has a girl and a boy with him as well.”

  “Send a map to my office.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Rugrat cleared away his desk a little bit, but it wasn’t long until there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  Rugrat stood as Chonglu entered the room with his children. “Chonglu, Feng, Felicity—I didn’t expect to see you all here,” Rugrat said.

  “We owe you a great debt. You saved my life and the lives of my family, and you brought Mira and us back together. There is no money or wealth in the Ten Realms I can possibly repay this kindness.” Chonglu dropped to his knee, his children doing the same. “We offer our loyalty, our ability, and our lives if you will have them.”

  “There’s no need for that!” Rugrat said hastily, pulling them back to their feet.

  “Please, if there is anything that we can do for you,” Chonglu said.

  Rugrat let out a snort, seeing that they would not let this go easily.

  Something caught his eye as he looked out one of the windows. Seeing the Battle Arena that was being built, an idea popped into his mind.

  “Very well. There is a task that you can complete. You will need to sign an oath to Erik and myself, promising never to reveal any of our secrets on your life,” Rugrat said in a grave tone as he leaned back on his desk, crossing his arms.

  Chonglu nodded, about to speak again.

  “Feng and Felicity will go to school. They will learn at least one craft as well as basic studies in all crafts. When they are sixteen, they will be allowed to do as they want and leave school. Chonglu, you will become the administrator of the Battle Arena. Your wife is a person of the Fighter’s Association, which will make it easier for you to talk to them and have more power with them. Though you will be neutral in all matters there. This will be a test of your abilities and we will be watching you to make sure that you aren’t doing anything behind the scenes. Also, before any of that, I will need to know how you increased your levels so fast that you’re able to go from the First Realm to the Fourth Realm,” Rugrat asked.

  “Mira,” Chonglu said. “She brought high-level beasts for us to kill, and then monster cores to consume, ascending us through her efforts.”

  “Makes sense. The Stone Fist sect has tried to attack you twice now—personal strength is the only way to make sure that others can’t harm you or the people you love.”

  Chonglu gave a short nod and glanced at his two children.

  “There might be secrets that you need to keep from Mira,” Rugrat warned.

  “There are always secrets in the realms,” Chonglu said.

  Rugrat nodded and reached out his hand. “Very well, I’ll leave running the Battle Arena to you Cho
nglu,” Rugrat said.

  Chonglu bowed deeply to Rugrat.

  “Come on, no need for that, you’ll need to prove your ability,” And your loyalty Rugrat mentally added as he helped the other man back up.

  “Well, that will take some time to get used to, but we have time. I’ll have Hiao Xen get the right contracts ready for you.”

  “But we don’t want to go to school,” Felicity complained.

  Rugrat laughed. “I didn’t like school much either, but trust me when I say that going through school will make you stronger, much stronger than your mom and dad. Also, you can choose to learn fighting and high-level crafts while still in school. You get to pick the things that you want to try out. Think of it as a test period. Afterward, you’ll have to pay for it,” Rugrat said.

  Chonglu saw Felicity and Feng thinking on his words. They didn’t seem as annoyed now, more contemplative.

  “Make sure that you train up. The barracks and training areas will be made available to you, though you’ll learn more about that when you agree to the contracts,” Rugrat said. Then you can open your mana gates and temper your body further.

  Chapter: Next Leap

  Tanya was passed off to a group of traders. They were rather simple in their clothes and ornaments, but everything they had was of high quality.

  “So where are we going? Is this it?” she asked as they rode into a city she hadn’t seen before.

  “Nope,” the trader said as he guided the beasts expertly through the city. There were four carriages in total. “This is just the entrance,” he said with a proud smile.

  “The entrance?”

  “You’ll see.” He laughed.

  Tanya pouted, hearing little yips from the small beast storage crate that was hooked on her hip. She stopped herself from laughing at Tetsu’s new size and the cute noises he let out.