by Han Yang
“The worst,” I agreed. “But he is supposed to be an alpha asshole. His purpose in life is to kill, and he is fierce. I just can’t be the idiot in the front.”
“I’ll get you a wagon mare for the next fight,” Jark said with a snickering laugh. “He’s bloody fast and needs a berserker or a fine woman to handle him.”
Tarla joined the banter, adding, “That horse is so proud of himself at the moment. He thrills for combat. Speaking of which, I saw you slicing and dicing, putting those sword skills to good use.”
Her proud tone elicited a smirk. I kissed her cheek in thanks, complimenting her on her fireball.
Nee arrived, breaking up the joy because she carried a dead goblin with a belly bump. The cycle of fast strivian reproduction would be coming due any day.
“I said no pregnant warriors,” I grumbled, my arms sagging. “What happened?”
“She was helping tie up fallen thralls, and a random dagger fell from the sky,” Nee said sadly, handing me a dagger I recognized.
“Alright, I take it we’re out of revivals?” I asked, knowing I could revive, but it would have to wait.
Nee nodded sadly, and I patted her shoulder.
Nessio finished helping the dwarves corral the last of the thralls. She walked over to me at our impromptu meeting and said, “Few things. Nee, go into town and find a dwarf in brown robes named Brother Sello. He’ll revive your goblin.”
“Thank you, Queen Nessio,” Nee said, taking her leave.
“Tela will have retreated to lock herself behind a bunch of traps. Her thralls have to eat, meaning they’ll starve and die if you keep her penned in,” Nessio told us.
“Yeah, that hurts both sides,” I said, folding my arms. “What would you think the cost is to get by the traps?”
“If you send in your minions first, probably not many will die forever, and the fighting will be rough. You won, though. There’s thirty thrall dead, another thirty being led away. She is probably down to sixty troops. If you contain her until she has no choice but to charge into your trap, she’s dead,” Nessio said.
“Okay, I thought you said a stalemate hurts us both,” I replied.
“She’ll take a deal. We need to honor our word, though. Let me offer her safe passage to Selma for sanctuary – who happens to be her sister. It’ll embarrass Tela, but she’ll take the offer,” Nessio said, and I scoffed at the notion. She raised a hand defensively and continued, “I’ll offer her free passage with her spiderlings only. The rest go to us. That means the Town of Seqa adds more defenders and residents.”
“Can we just kill them when they come out?” I asked, and a dwarf gasped.
“No,” Nessio said. “Just… no.”
“I need Z more than freeing dwarves or humans or gnomes,” I said, seeing Yermica approach with the bag of orbs. “How many?”
“It’s not good, Boss. Most can be revived, and those who can’t can become minions and revived later,” Yermica said, frowning when I pointed to the sack. “Eighteen Zorta, Boss.”
“We need a thousand for a damn portal,” I groaned.
“A portal? You’re going to upgrade Caitlyn’s church?” Nessio asked with surprise.
“Yeah, I have more than a few enemies. A safe way to have random excursions is probably smarter than fighting the hordes in the mines. Maybe we can mine in here, go to a different city through the portal, and trade,” I said, thinking out loud.
“Would you consider a loan?” Nessio asked, a mischievous grin spreading on her face.
“Here we go,” one of the dwarves said, earning a hard glare from the spider queen. “She’ll take ten percent, not the twenty she starts at. Now, go make a deal with Tela. She has my son. You’re welcome. I am going to help the lads seal the farm. What an idiot! Mining in a warzone.”
The surly dwarf left, not even ensuring we tried to get his son.
“I like him,” Tarla said with a smile.
My lovely lady, always the positive type.
“Hand me the eighteen Zorta,” I told Yermica.
I opened the bag, found my center, and tried to connect to all the orbs. Each orb shimmied, accepting my connection. I sighed in frustration, wishing I had tried this after the ogre battle.
Consume all 17.77 Zorta (YES) - (NO)
I selected yes and then went into my character sheet.
Name: Damien Moonguard
Race: Human
Affiliation: Ostriva
Zorta: 47.323
Nordan Score: 255,500
Ostriva Score: 371,100
Location: Seqa Hills
Magic Type: Healer
Healer Level: 8
Magic Type 2: Necromancer
Necromancy Level: 4
Necromancer Minions: 35/150
Fighting Level: Pathetic Plus
Mana: 145/155
Mana Recharge: 6
Strength: 8
Stamina: 7
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 9
Willpower: 8
Cultivation: 14
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 30
Charisma: 24
Tracking: 7
Endurance: 9
Perception: 13
Burst: 7
Reflex: 7
Healing: 7
Melee Combat: 6
Aim: 2
Hunger: 4
Thirst: 2
Aging: 59 years until death.
“How many other healers do you have?” I asked.
“Four, but none will be free,” Nessio said.
I didn’t object, merely asked, “The price?”
“A Zorta per revive.”
“Half,” I countered. “Only because we’re limited on funds. A normal Z is fine, but these aren’t even my troops we’re reviving.”
“I’ll split the cost then. I’ll select two dwarves and two gnomes,” Nessio said, walking to the lined up dead.
“That’s fine. The goblins are cheaper to raise also. Set aside the four you want to revive,” I said.
“Twenty-six dead. Will you need me to get Bell for Z?” asked Asha.
I grumbled. “They better be good at cultivating from the mountain.” I knew I didn’t directly answer him, mainly because it made sense to check first.
I chanted, “Death is fickle, and not your end. Death is fickle, and not your end. Death is fickle and not your end.”
A pulse of black aura shot out from me, connecting to the dead thralls. They immediately welcomed my touch, and I wasn’t sure why.
“They submitted immediately,” I muttered.
“You’re a Necro Lord. A powerful one. Not many have more than a few minions,” Nessio said. “And that is why I’ll do ten percent on your loan. You’ll pay it back because you probably already have a hundred Zorta in minions. Plus, I should have installed a portal ages ago, but I was scared I’d lose the city to Selma. I still may.”
“Doubtful that Selma will defeat us as we grow,” I said encouragingly. “Give me a moment. Last time I did this, reapers fell from the sky.”
“It was super awesome,” Tarla said, pinching my butt proudly.
I smirked, checking my display.
You have connected to a variation of dead beings and creatures. Seven gnomes, twelve goblins, and eleven dwarves. Would you like claim (ALL) (GROUP) (SINGLE)
I selected (GROUP) and my vision shifted. All the dead were in green. I removed the four that were set aside and tapped (CLAIM).
Claiming all the selected dead as minions will result in you earning Ostriva and Nordan points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
I continued.
You selected to claim 26 minions. Consume 46.299 Zorta to summon these creatures as minions of the undead. Confirm (YES) - (NO)
I finalized my choice with a sigh. “Down to a single Z. Stand back from the dead.”
Reapers arrived, slithering through the walls and walking through the living as if they didn’t exist. The team of reapers wen
t to work, throwing down the dead until their flesh smacked against the hard stone. Ghoulish hands reached up, striping the bones until they glistened white.
The horrific process completed quickly with Nessio stunned.
“Thanks,” the reaper who had saluted me the first time said.
I wanted to ask him about a million questions when he walked into the wall, vanishing. A shocked silence ensued, and my minions stood at the ready, awaiting orders.
A grating sound from the ceiling revealed a trap door sliding open.
“I surrender,” a voice from above said.
Eight eyes peered down, a crossbow at the ready.
“You built a second tunnel?” Nessio asked. “Impressive.”
“Not as impressive as a Necro Lord and a portal being built. I’d rather serve the handsome man than my sister, and I’d happily chip in to relocate through a portal. How about it?” Tela asked in a positive tone.
I gulped, not sure how to reply.
Tarla said, “I’m Mrs. Necro Lord. There’s a hierarchy, rules, and a tribute required if you were to join us. Not that we’re recruiting.”
“I’ll answer to the Boss and his wife. I’ll listen to the Boss’s rules and give you my minions to command. As for tribute, I have this lovely body you can ravish,” Tela teased seductively. “Or, we can build the portal, and I’ll move along with only my spiderlings.”
“He wants Z, not another sex partner,” Tarla said, sticking her hands to her hips.
“Can I keep a breeder at least?” Tela asked. “I need a troll at the very least.”
“Retreat to your home and set free your thralls. We will discuss terms after, over a nice meal. It’s been a while since we were able to dine peacefully,” Nessio said, and I cued into the not so subtle hint.
“Family?” Asha asked.
“She’s my aunt,” Nessio said. “She won’t answer to me because of it, but if you let her in, you can trust her as long as you keep her happy and powerless. I’d welcome the combined forces, and if things go bad, she can -”
“Go through the portal!” Tela said in delight. “That’s what I really want, and I’ll be willing to give up this shitty corner in a mine to be a mighty spider queen in a forest.”
“Yes, I need to have my own conversation. Release your minions and meet us at the farm. There’s more skeletons in my army than you can kill now,” I said. “Help pay for the portal, and I’ll promise you the first trip through, unharmed.”
“As the Necro Lord commands,” Tela said.
“Damien works,” I said, turning to sling an arm around Tarla. “Now, let me tell you all about visiting Caitlyn, and then we can think up some plans.”
CHAPTER 39
The Town of Seqa
“And... the portal’s finally gone,” Yermica said, joining us for training.
She grabbed a bow, heading to the small archery range. A series of goblins fired crossbows, the snap of their weapons were as constant as the clang of swords.
I practiced sword maneuvers against Jark in the courtyard of our estate.
Inside the walled perimeter, a large hosting space had been converted into a training area. At some point, I’d want to put grass or something over the rough stone floor. I paused our dueling to set my practice sword into a rack, glancing up at the large building.
This was one of the few large manors inside the town. Across from us, Nessio lived in the larger estate meant to host dignitaries. The other large estate remained vacant for now, like much of the town.
I picked this one to occupy because of this training area and a huge second floor balcony that wrapped the entire building. After all those years in tiny apartments and then living outside for months, I wanted the space, even if we were in a cave. The ability to go out of an enclosed room and onto a balcony was delightful.
I stood by my decision too. Almost. Two weeks previous, I had moved myself and my friends into the estate. Having a bed, a kitchen, and… it all was glorious. Settling down into a sparsely furnished home became everything I dreamed about after months of camping.
I showered daily, I napped after hard training, and I was finally able to read. Two weeks seemed like a lifetime, and in some cases, a well-earned vacation. However, now that Tela was gone, there was a whole lot of work ahead.
We borrowed five hundred Zorta from Nessio and learned she borrowed some of it from the common dwarf, gnome, troll, and goblin. We applied a hundred from the ogres and Tela delivered four hundred Zorta and forty thralls that had to be detoxed from her milk.
A week ago, the portal had shimmied to life in the church, allowing Tela to leave with her minions. We played around with the portal, keeping it under guard, and not exploiting the area as promised. In theory, the portal should have closed after a week, which Yermica just confirmed. Meaning, we could start the process of building up our base and collecting Zorta to pay Caitlyn.
My fated conversation with the others about reviving them went smoothly. There wasn’t much to debate besides who wanted to come to Earth. The reality was that the costs were just too high to take anyone besides me and Tarla.
After we laid everything out, the math and the sheer numbers resulted in Jark wanting to stay. Asha was conflicted, but due to the high cost, wanted to stay also. Tarla cared about going where I went, her desire to stay at my side resolute.
The two of us grew closer and everything was fantastic until I started to become concerned. She brought up children, I blanched, and we had our first fight.
Obviously, I should have cued into the fact that babies come from sex and there were no plan B pills or many forms of birth control. I didn’t think she was pregnant because we were taking precautions, but… it was possible, and I absolutely was in denial.
The tension had led to some strife with her not backing down about wanting kids and me not feeling ready. That led me to welcoming the distraction of our first portal finally closing and us getting out of the house for a new adventure.
“Alright, it’s game time. Everyone get ready for a fight,” I said, leaving the training grounds to exit the estate wall.
Nessio left her slightly larger estate to join me on the road. “Going to earn some Zorta?” she asked, knowing the answer.
We walked down the wide street with residential homes actually occupied in this district. Linens stretched along sinew, hung out to dry. A gaggle of kids played a game of kickball, and the fountain - way at the end of the road - spewed water in a dazzling display that never grew old.
“We have some additional testing to do, that’s for certain,” I said happily, adjusting my armor to allow it to breathe at the neck. “Yeah, I’m wanting to get some Zorta at the very least. Any news from the delegation sent to Selma?”
“You mean giving up most of the gains from Tela to sign a peace treaty? No, no word yet,” Nessio said.
Nessio and I butted heads often as well. She preferred to try to hold Tela’s turf while I’d rather focus on holding the massive city that could house ten times the residents it had. The Town of Seqa was huge, allowing for plenty of space.
With the double farms on the north side of town in our control, food wasn’t an issue. We simply didn’t need to fight for those tunnels and additional farms. A friendly neighbor made more sense to me, and we even planned on using the upper landing as a field with fresh soil dragged in through the portal.
Which led to the whole issue of Seqa.
It was underdeveloped but had great bones. We needed a parsing mage to form a bank, more ore to craft weapons, fresh timber to build furniture, farm animals, and the list went on.
All that had to happen through the portal until we could become powerful enough to fight the threats outside our gates.
A smile peeled back my teeth. I was eager to adventure again. We turned down a clean side road to see Caitlyn’s church. A crowd of warriors mulled in front of the doors, not all of them my minions or soldiers.
“I see a few of the dwarves wish to risk life
for riches,” Nessio said in disappointment.
“Ah, I hired most of them. But a few, yeah, they’re here to try and improve their lot. Lumpy is going to beat most of them, but they may find goblins, feral hounds, or whatnot. I don’t even know what regions are open this week,” I said with a shrug.
Opening the Tela’s resettlement portal had taught us a valuable lesson. The portal system wasn’t consistent. For instance, I couldn’t go to a spot in the forest outside Tarb every week. We had sixty locations to pick from last time, and we held our end of the bargain, letting Tela select a swamp as her new home.
Now that her portal closed, we could generate our own gateway to a different region. The church's doors were sealed shut, magically opening at my approach.
Ha, benefits of being a champion, I suppose.
Bell and Tarla froze, seeing me stride in. The ladies halted their conversation that likely revolved around me.
“All minions, assemble at the church,” I ordered quietly, knowing they could hear my command from anywhere. “Afternoon, ladies. I hope I didn’t interrupt something.”
“You mean like planning how to make you sleep on a couch we don’t own?” Tarla asked with a genuine smile. “No, I’m just venting in private about your lack of wanting to grow our family.”
“I… I do enjoy every morning and evening with you, Tarla. Alas, I understand your frustration, and I promise to talk it out with you,” I said.
There clearly was a disconnect from the California lifestyle of waiting ten years to have a child and the Nordan way. My answer deflated the tension, and I hugged Tarla.
“See,” Bell added with a smile.
I kissed Tarla’s cheek, and she reddened. Leaving her side, I walked over to the portal, seeing the square frame with images of Caitlyn engraved onto the stone. Caitlyn teased or murdered in every depiction with her likeness in different species.
Asha arrived, and we left the murals for the main shrine. Bell activated the list before we could arrive, and the interface populated on the desk surface.