I did at least cover my basis and say my retreats to a different village were work related.
“Definitely more than the wives then, you zoned out twice now.” Lirkon did his griffin chuckle as he lowered himself so I could get down. “Stupid rat infestation you are doing here. In all my years I never expected someone to build a rat farm.”
“It is an awesome idea, I am excited to get this village producing! Also, let me say I am happy to be the ruler of Fernlan again. I can focus on what matters and attend far fewer meetings where I did little more than be a translator. Ah, there is Zack, let us go say hello.” I said to Lirkon who had already balled up, ready for a nap.
“You go do human things Gryff, I am catching up on some much needed sleep. Sunny slept on my head last night. Well more like my neck and head… I am exhausted. Just wait until your wives start popping out some vampiric young that sap all your sleep and energy. Then you will be out here napping and not working.”
I laughed at this and got a side eye for finding humor in his suffering.
“Enjoy your rest, my friend,” I said and patted his side.
I walked the fields of Xiq on my way to the central roost point where I saw Zack working. The entire village had drastically shifted since my first visit here. The entirety of the former structures were brought down and the wood collected in a pile. The fields were still a mess, a mix of crops and overgrowth. We decided to leave them as is for now and harvest anything we could. The leftover plants would be food for the rats I was having hauled here. Next spring we would tear it all up and plant new fields or maybe do a massive grove. It was still up in the air for how Xiq would long term produce. For now, we utilized everything we could and added a roost combined with a housing structure as a waypoint station.
The lower floor was designed to hold a small company of troops and a few rooms for farmers. It was the only standing structure in the entirety of Xiq. Above the human quarters were sections for griffins who needed to rest or drop off goods. A gradual ramp wrapped around three sides of the first floor to ensure an easy slope. The roost wasn’t complete yet and was mainly utilized as a drop off point.
Zack saw me approaching and gave a friendly wave.
“Gryff, good to see you. We recently added the underground storage here under the roost. The damn rats already moved in. I swear I never thought in all my years I would see a rat farm.” The man paused and waved me to follow him inside the building. We passed a door frame that was bare, no door attached yet and walked by a few rooms that were empty. In the central point, a set of stairs transitioned down into a storage area. “Dark down here so watch your step. I forgot to bring torches this trip but that is an easy fix for next time. This is more than enough storage space for both the workers and soldiers I think. Any more and you will run into more lighting needs. Alright, follow me outside.”
We went back up the stairs and towards the exterior of the building.
“How are we doing on goblin hearts?” I asked in curiosity. “We stopped receiving them from Malvia and I have been unable to hunt recently, so I am a tad concerned.”
“We have a few left, enough to finish the mushroom farms you want to attempt here and the rat nests. Oh… We finished your small wall just inside the barrier. I think this will be tall enough. Come judge for yourself though.”
The two of us made it to the outer edge of the village where the barrier was. The trek across the fields revealed more of the toiled past of this poor place. Outlines of abandoned buildings revealed bare earth that contrasted the overgrowth. When we reached the end of the protected area for the village I noticed a little eighteen inch wall. This was to keep my rats inside and from leaving Xiq. I was sure they would tunnel and escape at some point, or craftily find a way over the short barrier. Still, it would be a deterrent, which was all I needed. A little taller and I could use it for runtlets. I needed to find out if the runtlets wanted to eat dead rats. If so, then I may move them over here and simply use rats to boom my bacon production. We only had a few shipments of rat deposits so far. I was interested to see how it would turn out. At the very least, we were importing protein. Regardless of the source, it could help stave off starvation.
“Seems high enough for rats, a runtlet can get over it. Make it three feet please, or near twice as tall. Then it opens up more farming options. I am going to go carve up some boards so they will be ready for planting when you make the mushroom caves. Let me know if you need anything Zack. Good catching up with you.”
“Of course, give me a few hours and I will raise the height. Patti should be around later if I end up running out of aura. Enjoy the simple work, my lord.” Zack said as we diverged.
He went for more goblin hearts and I went to the collected pile of wood. The stack of old boards was higher than I was tall. That left me plenty to work with. I slung my backpack to the ground and rummaged through it. Since I had been attending meetings and not going into combat, I had worn the pack everywhere I went. I wanted to get into the habit of having it on me at all times. I was tired of forgetting things and a storage container helped me maintain key items… like my to do lists. I found my knife I used to wear on my belt. The last combat I had seen was versus the ogres when Una died. King Horus had me too busy to venture out to kill the Horde and I was actually okay with that. I had a combat healer due any day now that I had been waiting on. Meaning that when the time came around to it, I would be going into action more prepared.
I picked out a long wide board and set it to the side. I found some short little bits of wood and stacked them to elevate the board off the ground. We had heavy rains a few days ago and the ground was mostly dry but an elevated workspace would help long term. I slotted the longboard over the makeshift stand and planted my butt in front of it. I slid my legs under the board and got to work. Elan had given me a pamphlet on mushroom farming when I mentioned the merits of growing the fungi. Originally, he had scoffed at my idea. Only a few people tried to grow mushrooms during the winter. The reason being mushrooms liked to grow in moderate, dark, and moist temperature. We had all of that in abundance here. The moisture because it was generally a wet winter, the dark from the custom dug out caverns, and the moderate temperature because of the lava stones that were still in production in Malvia. Baron Strin increased output to three cauldrons and was still months behind on processing all the lava golem shells into heated stones. Well, Dais was warm enough, winter not set in yet, and we had these lava balls stacking up. Insert my idea for mushroom farms. If people grew tired of eating mushrooms, we could fill the Horde quotas with them.
I scuffed the first longboard and added holes throughout. It was mindless tedious work and I loved it. Being able to get lost in the wood while I whittled away was boring, yet enjoyable. When I felt the board was nice and prepared, I went over to the pile of wood and found an additional slate close in size. It went on my platform and I went to work. I did the same thing to this board as the last one. The minutes flew by and before I knew it, I was done. I left the board on the work station and dug into my backpack. There was a jar of mushroom spores I had imported from King Omarr, who ruled the southwestern portion of Vin.
I went and pried the lid off. Then I reached in and grabbed a pinch. I spread the spores on the board, letting the fungi get a good hold. While I was doing this I reflected on the political climate. King Devon had declared King Horus an outlaw and ordered all his cities to send the full twelve men to war against his new foe. Of course, this did not go over well. Those cities realized when griffins stopped flying and caravans started vanishing that they were in a dire situation. Instead, they denied King Devon and seceded from his rule. A few cities stuck with him while most were now self governed. Emperor Salvoni was in an equally disastrous scenario. No griffins and no caravans meant no one was paying taxes or sending goods. The capital Deltan had rioted last week when food ran low. It was stamped out by loyal guards and city defenders, but it was merely a precursor to further violence.
He hid in his mansion behind his tall walls and guards. While I, the Earl of Fernlan, sat in the muck and made mushroom boards.
Satisfied I had put enough spores on the baseboard, I stacked my first scoffed and hole marked board on top. I reached into my bag, grabbed two nails and a hammer and connected the two boards into one. Done. I smirked at my completed work. It merely needed an earth mage to fuse the boards and push the nails out later to be reused again. Then they would meld the mushroom plank into a cavern wall above where rats could reach. Then a water mage would thoroughly soak it. Finally, a fire mage would set the lava stones. For now, before all the fun magic happened, a noble had to make a few hundred of these.
Ten connected boards later and Donnie showed up. The young man was in a chipper and joyful mood. He had married his girlfriend Mina. Though young, it was Vin, and I respected their wishes. Even his mother Micka had attended the simple ceremony. Donnie and Mina shared a small home in Dais and I always saw the two of them smiling. Bella told me between vomiting yesterday morning that Mina had similar symptoms and she was almost certain we would both be dads around the same time. A scary thought from where I came from, completely normal here.
“Afternoon Donnie, find two boards of equal length and width and then score them good. Add lots of holes. Apply some mushroom spores between them, not too much, these will take off nicely if the setup goes well. When you’re done, grab some nails out of this jar and hammer them together.” I instructed as I held up the jar of nails and showed him the pile of completed work. He studied my results and went over to the pile to start working while we talked. “I am only doing two nails per pairing. Should get enough done for the mages tomorrow to give them half a day of work. Did anything important happen or arrive in Fernlan during my absence?”
“Your healer arrived. Caused a mighty fuss with the ladies. He is a charming, handsome, and a brash son of a noble. Duke Alkin of Swiftstone is his father.” Donnie said as he placed two similar boards side by side to kneel on. He worked his dagger while talking. “There are a few titles he can use but he goes by Earl Fwar. Brought his six wives. Bella was muttering a storm to Mina about you being outdone. Those princesses calmed her right down though. Mina was supportive and later told me to not get ideas. As if I was guilty by association. She is so moody lately, I think her moon flow is due soon, or it could be the cold she has. Always vomiting in the mornings…”
I laughed and couldn’t help it. The absurdity of it all struck me and I slammed my dagger into the board to grab my belly in laughter. “We are both doomed, my friend. You and I, doomed. When we get home you need to ask Mina why she is vomiting and late on her moon flow. Don’t let her find out you learned it from me. Doomed I tell you… Be grateful you only have the one to knock out babies. May all the gods protect me if I have two within months. Bella has been saying if I refuse to marry more ladies, I need to have more children at least. That lady and babies. Different worlds for certain.”
Donnie hammered his boards in silence then slammed his thumb, missing the nail. There were many curses and angry words. Then he dropped the hammer and spun to stare at me. His jaw dropped and he connected the dots. Sure, it was slower than I expected, Donnie was a sharp young man, and yet most men were prone to selective hearing. The look on his face meant it had sunk in. He gulped, muttered a curse, and then went back to work.
Two hours of toiled progress passed and we had forty to fifty paired mushroom planks ready to go. We left them there and went to check on Zack. I was out of spores, so I pulled out my to buy list and made a note. All my life I had never used a backpack, now I will never go without one again. I went to the original outer wall section where I was shown a foot and a half tall wall earlier. Now a three foot clay wall stood a little over my knee. I went to the surface and rubbed it to find it as hard as stone. My mind contemplated how long this wall would last. The only way to know was to ask. The buildings inside Dais were said to last forever assuming they stayed dry, but this was exposed to the elements. So were the roosts but I was no earth mage. I would have to ask Zack or Patti.
It was Patti who found us. She was completing the circle in a chant. A goblin heart in her right hand, while her left fingers aimed at the small wall. A brown magic crackled from the heart to her hand, to the wall. It was mesmerizing to witness. She called upon the earth to bend to her will and raise to her demands. Donnie and I stepped back so she could finish without worry of running into us. The wall completed and her eyes focused. When she saw me, she smiled. Patti was always a motherly type, friendly but stern. She appreciated my no nonsense nobility style. I appreciated her work ethic.
“Ah Gryff, wall is done, I am heading back to Dais now for a few days off. Fae will be here tomorrow to build out your rodent nests and mushroom caves.” Patti said as she dusted off her hands. The goblin heart had shriveled then dematerialized as the spell consumed it. “You sure are an odd one. Never thought I would ever work for a rat farmer… The times though.”
“Actually, we may join you and head back to Fernlan. I got some good work done here today. The only other thing I can think of is clearing these fields of die off vegetation and wild brush. Rats may do it for us though. If not I can do it in the spring when we decide what to plant.” Two griffins soared overhead with rat sacks under their bellies. “I wonder how full the cities are with rodents. Boggles my mind trying to rationalize how quickly my silver orders got filled. At least a hundred silver already, so five thousand rats here. Another hundred and the orders are done. Not bad for two gold coins. I know for rats… Still, if they can fatten runtlets or griffins then awesome. There were already requests to increase my orders at a discounted rate. Simply put, there were extra rats being caught and catchers being told there was no more demand. I might take them up on it and do two hundred rats a silver. Somehow I know the numbers in the cities will recover just fine... Hey, I have been meaning to ask, how long will this wall last with the rain?”
“Good question. If we use more heart and more aura, we can condense the clay to add in harder properties. This wall, probably a hundred years, the goblin heart and my earth magic is powerful. These large structures and Zenith, a few hundred. A simple renewal spell will firm everything up for a much lower cost since the materials are already in place.”
We walked to the roost building as we talked. I did not know the two arriving griffins who asked if we wanted rides back to the capital Zenith. I accepted and walked up the ramp to the landing platform on the second floor. Donnie and Pattie climbed on a red tipped male named Gaius, while I mounted a violet tipped female named Isris. They were friendly and chatty with me. We talked about minor things such as trade and general life. It was a reoccurring theme in all the griffin chats I had recently. Morale was at an all time high. A capital of their own was established, with a monolith designed of their own making. Many couples who were abstaining from attempting to rear cubs due to the downturn from the peace accords were back at it. Leaving me with the task of worrying about food again. I always worried about where the food was. Seven hells, I could change my strategy now though. I had a combat healer, no meetings, and three villages to stir some trouble out of. It looked like combat was back on the menu.
The last section of flight home I prepared myself for the hectic arrival I was certain would happen. I was right to be concerned because it was Lord Nova who sent me a message first.
“Are you ready to head to the Venisis Sea yet Gryff? I can take you if you are prepared. King Aves is in an endless meeting but I know he grows weary of planning. Your delay means our delays,” Lord Nova said from up high in his elite room on Zenith.
“A few days at least. I want to be prepared. These days of meetings have let it sink into me to be more prepared. I understand how important the catalysts for water magic are to you griffins and promise I will diligently ensure we have all that we need ready for the journey.” I said while Isris hovered me in front of Lord Nova’s penthouse roost. It seemed she knew talking face to
face with the mighty griffin was the right thing to do. “I need to talk with Nate, get a full team ready, and find proper clothing… Actually, there is a lot I need to do. Enjoy your rest for now, and know I am working on food before I leave. I would hate to be on a boat halfway to the icy tundra and have to turn around because my house was not in order.”
“Very well… I grow tired of this resting. Those three little terrors have decided my feathers are trophies. I am missing like six. Stop… It is not funny.” Nova said this as Lirkon came in flying with Zack on his back. The blue tipped griffin displayed dozens of patch spots where feathers had been removed. None higher than a few feet. I noticed Nova gulp before continuing. “Thank all the creator I am so high and they cannot fly. I will be here waiting and will venture out in this overcast to try to find some easy targets. That large war band of orcs is still on patrol but more and more disperse for other battles.”
The little giggling of three baby griffins interrupted his talk. We both looked down the ramp at the noise to see Lance, Pearl, and Sunny attempting to be stealthy. Lord Nova had enough and shot out of his roost and all I heard was Streb then scouting. It sounded good to me. I thirsted for combat again.
Isris glided down to a landing pad where Bella was leading a half dozen women on a tour. Her three friends with her diligently explaining the place to the new ladies. Calia, an original to Fernlan was in charge of our crop production and swamped with work. I saw Pipi and Velia helping her sorting some of the harvest brought in from the fields. I leapt off Isris after a quick thank you, gave a wave to Bella as well as new ladies, and then went to work helping stack food and supplies.
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