The Fourth Realm (The Ten Realms Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  “Welcome to Hersht,” Erik said.

  “Get to work on my tan,” Davos said, grinning under his hood as he led the panther’s forward.

  “See you later, stay safe” Erik used the totem again and disappeared in a flash of light. He had only been there for a few seconds so there were only a few people with confused looks on their faces, the wind carried off the earth mana stone dust behind Roska and Davos.

  People looked over at the carts with their towering goods and their war beasts pulling them. The four other carts followed behind as they went to the guard watching the trading entrance.

  “Three silvers each,” The man said.

  Roska checked through her bag.

  Damn I only have mana stones and gold.

  Davos pulled out fifteen silvers and passed it to Roska, she nodded in gratitude and passed it to the man.

  He took the funds and waved them through.

  They entered the dusty city, Roska checked the map that Erik and Rugrat had worked up. It didn’t take them long to reach the Adventurers guild branch there.

  Roska jumped off as the others all stood around the carts, standing guard as people looked on. Roska had to blink a few times, to clear the light from her eyes as she went up to the front desk and presented a medallion and put it on the table.

  “Please come with me,” The person at the desk said. They guided Roska back to a room hidden in the back of the building, they knocked on the door as a man who looked like he got too little sleep and smelled like he hadn’t showered recenetly opened the door. He peered out at the secretary who presented a medallion nervously.

  “Thank you,” The man said , becoming alert and straightening. The woman bobbed her head and quickly left.

  The man waved her inside and looked around. He shut the door and activated a sound cancelling formation.

  Roska took down her hood as the man’s eyes went wide.

  She pulled out several letters.

  “These need to be sent out, I have goods that I need to leave here. We will be departing tomorrow, I need five new carts and twenty beasts to pull them as well as a location to drop them off in Hersht. In return I need ammunition and supplies from Alva. Rugrat has given me designs for new reloading equipment to increase the speed for creating mortar, grenade and rifle rounds.”

  The man took the letters and nodded.

  “I can send these out within the hour and we should have an answer by tomorrow,” The man said, he still looked like hell but he was alert and focused.

  “Do you have a place we can store the carts?”

  “Bring them around the back of the guild building, we have a courtyard there, we can hold the carts there.”

  “Make sure you keep an eye on the goods, they’re valuable. Nothing should be lost in transit to the dungeon.”

  “I will look into it personally,” The man drew himself up.

  “Good, I’ll get the carts moved around to the back. I will need quarters for my team.”

  “I can get you a place to stay in the guild, wear these,” He opened up a drawer and pulled out Adventurer’s guild emblems and passed them to Roska.

  “Thank you,” Roska said.

  “It’s my job,” The man smiled.

  Chapter: Agreement

  Rugrat tossed some water on his face, cleaning up his appearance. He had been working in the smithy and then heading into the dungeon to increase his level by fighting the higher level creatures with Special Team Two and the leadership from the Alvan army.

  He had reviewed the teachings about the Mana Heart, which was the next step on the Mana Gathering Cultivation path.

  He needed to condense the Mana Mist in his Mana channels into drops and then introduce them into his Mana core. His core had turned into a sort of container. The drops were pure Mana. As he filled up his Mana core with more drops, he felt greater strength in his hands. With his fourteenth and fifteenth Mana gate opening, he had already condensed five drops and was increasing more with time. The power contained within each drop was close to the power of half of his normal Mana. They offered another trump card, allowing him to draw on an incredible amount of energy in an instant. Though if he released just a few of them, he would temporarily be in the same situation as when he had ruptured his Mana channels.

  Now, that his Mana channels were no longer separate from his body, healing potions would repair his Mana channels and his control over Mana had reached an incredibly high degree. Another benefit was it increased his endurance and the amount of power he could deal with.

  There was another cost to using the drops. When he had all of the drops in his core, then it would transform into a Mana Heart. Spending one drop was destroying several hours’ worth of work spent compressing the damn thing.

  Rugrat was able to fight creatures that were level 50 but humans who were level fifty there was no knowing what advantages they might have, in cultivation, trump cards, fighting styles or tactics.

  It didn’t matter just how strong he was but how he was able to use that strength.

  Rugrat left his room to find George there in the hallway.

  “All right, let’s go see Fred and his people.” Rugrat got on George’s back as he took a run out of a second-story opening where the wall was still broken and flapped his wings.

  Rugrat looked at the city as he soared over it. The two inner walls had been repaired but the main wall was taking time due to its sheer size.

  Rugrat had had them focus on the barrier systems instead. On the walls and in open areas, one could see trees that had been grown to create catapults.

  Rugrat had used the power of the dungeon to create trees in the form of catapults or ballistas. They were simply designed and they could keep on attacking without needing any of the Alvan army.

  The undead workers shone in the light, wearing armor that they had recovered from the city. There were still thousands of them, each of them a powerful entity in their own right. Rugrat was still shocked that they had survived their mad dash to the dungeon core when they had first entered the city. If they didn’t have their dungeon master abilities, they wouldn’t have made it. Some of them still didn’t.

  They crossed over the wall. A section of the army headed back from the dungeon and another got ready to enter. They waved to Rugrat, who waved back as he went off toward an idyllic pond further into the valley where there were five grown homes. Grown because their owners had grown trees, weaving them together to make their homes.

  Racquel was outside, wearing a pair of short shirts made from some kind of hemp like material as she wore a string bikini made of a similar material to cover her chest as she lay out near the lake. She looked up, a smile on her face as if she had seen Rugrat staring at her.

  Rugrat grinned as George laughed.

  She stretched in her lounger, showing off her curves.

  Rugrat shook his head before he dismounted George and remembered that kiss from when she had been freed from the dungeon. I should talk to her.

  “Racquel, stop distracting our guest.” Fred’s voice came from his house as his door opened.

  Racquel pouted and turned to face Rugrat, showing off her cleavage. “But he’s handsome and interesting. Look at the images in his skin.”

  “They’re called tattoos,” Rugrat smiled in response.

  “Ohhh, and I would be interested to see where they go,” she said with a coy smile.

  Rugrat laughed as Fred sighed from inside his house, the entire house sighing with him. “I’d be happy to take you out for a meal and show you. Do you drink beer?” Rugrat asked.

  “Beer? I haven’t heard of it before but it sounds interesting.” She put her finger to her lips in thought before she bloomed with a smile.

  Rugrat could see her snake eye like pupils and he knew on some level that she was a powerful snake. But she is also a babe. She’d totally be a tattooed-up badass babe back on Earth. Ugh, I am too weak!

  “Could you at least do it away from here? I can hear Elizabe
th and William all night already and they’re two doors down,” Reaper said from inside his house, sounding like a surly teenager.

  “All wood but no fun. Trees.” Racquel sighed.

  “Talk later? Just need to have a word with Fred,” Rugrat said.

  “Make sure you don’t take too long,” “I’ll do my best.” Rugrat winked at her and headed into Fred’s house. The door closed behind Rugrat. He found Fred sitting at the back of the house, reading a book. He didn’t look up as Rugrat came in.

  “Being Demi Humans we get some of the desires that humans feel, being a tree and an old one at that. I thankfully don’t have any of those issues but what brings you here?” Fred asked. He didn’t care for societal norms; he wasn’t used to them.

  Does that make him and Ent or something?

  Rugrat quickly shook his distracting thoughts away as he focused.

  “There might be a fight eventually coming our way. Knowing our luck, there probably will be a fight. I don’t know what might happen. We have always trained to expect the worst. That being said, we might stop them before they get to the city walls; they might fight us on the walls or they might take Vuzgal. If they take the capital, we will be pulling back to the dungeon or escaping through hidden tunnels. I wanted to pass this on to you so that you are able to make your own preparations,” Rugrat said.

  “I feel like there is more.” Fred turned the book’s page.

  “You’re all strong, much stronger than we are. I would like to ask for your help, only in a support role. You might be strong but I don’t know how you fight and it might cause chaos on our front lines. But, supporting the special teams, you could help out a lot,” Rugrat said, not hiding anything.

  Fred’s hand paused before he turned the page in his hand. “Don’t you want to use us?”

  “Well, it would be nice to work with you, might help out in the coming battle but we wouldn’t force you into it. Like everyone in the army, they do their jobs not just because it is their duty but because they wanted to.”

  “You are interesting humans. The others will follow me and we will help you.”

  “Okay, so what are your capabilities? Your strengths, your Mana, your healing and Stamina?” Rugrat asked.

  “Why such complicated questions?” Fred asked.

  “To know how to use your strengths to the greatest result, I need to know what those strengths are,” Rugrat said.

  “Racquel is good in close combat. Reaper as well but only in short spurts. William and Elizabeth have powerful spells but that will drain them and they are also good fighters in close range. I believe William would be a terror if he was fighting in the rain.

  “Dromm is good at charging when in his beast form. I am best with support. I can heal, and unlike you humans, I am able to split my concentration, allowing me to support people across a large area. I do have other attacks and I can create or call upon different creatures.

  “Old Xern is much like Dromm—the two of them are actually good friends. Dromm can clear a path and Xern will tear apart anything in front of him. He was limited in the dungeon by how far he could jump. Now that he is outside, he is jumping all over the place,” Fred said.

  “We’ve noticed, tell him to stop trying to eat weapons out of people’s hands. I know we said all metal not inside the walls, but that includes people’s armored boots,” Rugrat pleaded.

  “I will talk to him. Also, these books you have are rather interesting. Are there more on this Alchemy?”

  Fred’s door opened as he continued reading.

  “Erik has the most but there are other alchemists in the group; you can ask them at the meeting tomorrow,” Rugrat said.

  “Very well. Also, treat Racquel well.” Fred looked up for the first time since the meeting.

  The house shifted. Rugrat felt the power that was hidden within the placid-looking elf.

  “Just talking.” Rugrat held up his hands as he forced a smile. Cold sweat ran down his back.

  Worse than Lucy-lue’s father when he was cleaning his shotgun in the front room while staring at me. I was in the tenth grade! What could I have... Well, I could have done—well, we did but…

  Rugrat coughed as he scratched the back of his head.

  Then there was Sarah from two towns over. Only had my boots and my hat when I got into the truck and booked it out of there. I don’t have the best luck with fathers.

  Fred lowered his gaze as Rugrat left the house.

  He let out a breath. George was on his back, waving his paws in the air, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, looking like nothing but an oversized puppy.

  Rugrat stopped in his steps, looking at the big dolt.

  He heard Racquel laughing as George jumped up and then rushed Rugrat, jumping on him. It seemed that he had been bored while Rugrat was working.

  Rugrat pulled out a big stick that looked more like a tree. George jumped up and down, backing up as Rugrat turned and threw the small tree.

  George ran after it. The tree splashed into the water. George pranced in the water before jumping into it fully and swimming over to the tree, and started bringing it back.

  “Still nothing but a puppy,” Rugrat said.

  George wrestled with the tree and turned around, coming back to shore as Rugrat went over to Racquel.

  “So, when do I get this beer?” Racquel asked with a playful smile.

  “Thankfully, I’ve got some extras.” Rugrat took out two cold beers, pulled the wax covered cork out of one and passing it to Racquel. He pulled out a foldable chair and put his beer in it as George came back.

  Rugrat grabbed the branch and hurled it again. George ran off again.

  Racquel sipped the beer, then held it at arm’s reach, examining it before she took another sip.

  “What do you think?” Rugrat pulled off his armor vest and tunic, leaving on his t-shirt underneath as he sat back in the chair.

  “About the beer or you?” Her eyes fell on the tattoos on his arms and her finger traced some of them out.

  “Both?” Rugrat smiled and took a drag of his beer. Drinking was allowed in the Alvan army. With a healing concoction, they could clear a hangover or sober up in just a few seconds. They were only allowed to have one mixed drink or two beers per day, following along with the rum rations that the British navy had.

  “You intrigue me, you’re a blacksmith, a fighter but also a mage. You are used to fighting in the front even if your body is weaker. Mages usually hide at the back, doing a lot of damage but aren’t useful if they’re attacked head on. Many people look at smithing as a rough craft but it takes patience. The items that you make—I’ve had a look at them and they’re not only well made, they’re complicated, works of art, many pieces all working together in harmony. A rough man with a soft heart.” She smiled, withdrawing her hand and drinking her beer.

  Damn, is my body that weak, I should talk to Erik about body cultivation again? Even the Special teams are starting to surpass me.

  George came up with his tree and barked at Rugrat.

  “Sounds like you’ve been looking into me.” Rugrat grabbed the tree and hurled it.

  George ran after it, jumping up and using his wings as he raced after it.

  “Well, a man in body armor and tattoos—guess you’re my type.” She drank from her beer.

  Rugrat let out a laugh, a heated feeling in his stomach. “So, what do you want to do?”

  “Now?” Her eyes ran down Rugrat’s body and then back to his eyes. “Or later?”

  “While I would like to know both of those, I meant more like do you want to stay here, do you want to explore the realms, does Alva interest you?” Rugrat said, trying to not look back and see if Fred was watching them.

  “I want to explore. I want to see the other realms, see this Alva. I want to experience life and take risks.” Racquel’s eyes glowed as if picturing that future as she took a big drink from the beer.

  George splashed through the water and dropped off his tree and shoo
k himself dry, covering Rugrat and Racquel in water.

  “Oh, George! Stop it!” Rugrat complained as Racquel laughed at George’s puppy dog look of innocence as he looked up at Rugrat and pawed the three meter branch, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  “You silly pup.” Rugrat rubbed George’s head. Racquel stood up and passed Rugrat the beer back.

  “Thanks for the beer but I should go and clean up, you should come around my place tonight if you’re free,” She said, somehow getting close to him and pressing her full chest against his stomach.

  “Yes,” Rugrat said in a rush not realizing how desperate it sounded. “I uhh.”

  “I look forward to it,” She kissed him, her tongue flickering over his before she released and walked towards her house.

  “I’m never going to sleep!” Reaper complained from his house.

  “Shut it, tree house!” Racquel yelled back.

  Chapter: News from the Fourth

  Delilah wiped her brow as her sound transmission device started beeping at her.

  She had just finished working on her latest concoction. She let out a sigh and took the message. She knew that unless it was of vital importance she wouldn’t be interrupted when she was working on her skills.

  Delilah took a shaky breath. She wasn’t someone originally from Alva, but now, as the council leader, she had come to know the people in Alva. She frequently met those proud parents talking about their son or daughter who had worn the armors of Alva to fight for their home. The boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, and husbands of those who were looking forward to their return—the hidden darkness in their eyes as they were worried about their loved ones.

  Delilah lisened through the message she had recieved.

  She quickly sent a message about ammunition production to Taran, with her authority to hire more people and use more resources to increase the ammunition production. She sent the letter about the loot to the treasury department and Jia Feng, the two of them would supervise one another and break down what items were useful to Alva and what could be sold.