The Fourth Realm (The Ten Realms Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  “How should we develop Vuzgal to increase trade? As a Neutral city it would be stupid to not capitalize.”

  “I would put forward that we should have our own auction house. If we have crafters there, we have stores to sell their goods directly or get commissions. We will need to look at the structure for traders and crafters that are coming from outside.”

  “Why the auction house, doesn’t the Blue Lotus do a good job?”

  “They do, but they sell the best items, people don’t need the best items all the time, just rare items sometimes. We should also create a trading platform between people. We hold items for a fee and then sell them on their behalf, people are busy and if we can increase the population and trading even for a small holding fee and taxation we could earn a slow but steady income.”

  Rugrat was impressed.

  “I’ll need a report detailing these different plans.”

  Elise pulled out a few folders and put them on the desk.

  “I’ll grab those afterwards.” Rugrat took a breath expelling it with his first word.

  “Now Vuzgal. We have the Blue Lotus and the Crafter’s Association building in the city, more out of thanks than business at this point. It gives us protection from would be agressors. They do not know about the crafting dungeon yet that I sent you all information on. Erik wants to tell the various other associations and pillar groups about Vuzgal, in an attempt to interest them, then rebuild Vuzgal how we want it to be. We plan to invite navigators over from across the Fourth Realm, people who cross through the totems, to have access to Vuzgal and bring in traffic and customers.

  “We have created a dungeon that targets crafters. Erik and I-if you have another opinion please tell us- are thinking of making Vuzgal focus on crafting. Replicate the facilities that we have here. Create an Academy to recruit talents, workshops inside the city to bring in more people and trade. We add in Sky Reaching Resturants and Wayside inns-which will be palces people can rent and stay in for periods of time instead of buying housing. Erik is looking to invite the Alchemist Association to work the valley. With time we hope ti turn Vuzgal into a hub of trade and training. Concurrently,” Rugrat took a breath, “Glosil will coordinate the expansion of the Alva military, it’s reorganization and reclaiming the remaining floors of Alva Dungeon.”

  Blaze sat forward. It wasn’t that the other parts weren’t alarming, but they would need to hide things and tiptoe around. The other things would be just complicated and annoying to deal with. The other floors of Alva Dungeon were still an intriguing mystery from the day they entered Alva. He wanted to know just what was lurking in the depths below.

  “We get that totem put up and then we can start moving materials and people around with greater freedom. If some power level it won’t be long until they can make it into the fourth realm” Rugrat said. “Alva must be stronger than it was yesterday. We have a duty not only to those who water the ground with their blood, but for the people who are living. We need to press the advantage while we have it and grow faster than ever before.”

  “What about the resources stockpiled in Vuzgal, Alva and the other branches?” Delilah asked.

  “With the new totem, everything should be gathered in Alva. The items should be evaluated. What to be reserved for the academies and to grow Vuzgal and Alva, then what should be sold. Elise you will need to break down what should be sold to our traders, what should be sold in Vuzgal for the greatest profits.”

  “Do you have an idea of what items were recovered?” Elise asked.

  “Kind of,” Rugrat said and took out a piece of paper, it went around the table to Elise.

  “Assorted jewlery, gems, gold silvers and worked high value items, Four thousand eight hundred and fifty items. Crafting materials two hundred and five different kinds, varying amounts. Crafted items. Thirty-five thousand one hundred and thirty seven. High level apprentice and above in quality, with multiples. Salvaged miscellanious items deemed possibly valuable, written works, or unable to categorize, twenty-eight thousand Seven hundred and twelve items with multiples,” Elise read out the different categories.

  “Well you really did loot an entire city,” Egbert said, with a note of approval.

  “Didn’t even leave the floor tiles in some places,” Rugrat said with pride. “Using good metal like that is a waste of coin!”

  “Did you leave anything in the city?” Elise asked.

  “Well we weren’t able torecord everything, just gathered it up and grouped it together to ship it down. That’s probably about a third, maybe a half?” Rugrat thought aloud.

  “

  ***

  Rugrat was in his office as Delilah entered.

  “I haven’t submitted myself to this much paperwork, ever, I think,” Rugrat complained as way of greeting. George let out a bored snort from his place under his feet.

  Delilah pulled out a chunk of meat and George’s eyes opened. His expression changed as he stood and moved to Delilah.

  Just like the other soldiers and Rugrat, George had gone through a change while he had been gone. He was much more powerful than before, but still he was the same person.

  George made to nip at it when Rugrat clicked his tongue.

  George lowered his head, knowing he had done wrong.

  “Sit!” Delilah said.

  George quickly sat down, looking up at her.

  “Lie down,” she said.

  He got on his paws as fast as possible, his wide eyes focused on her and the steak.

  She put the steak on the ground, stood back up and went to the seat in front of Rugrat. “Eat!” she said as she got to the chair.

  George eagerly latched onto the steak as Rugrat nodded in approval of his discipline.

  “What did you ask for me for? What can I do for you?” she asked Rugrat.

  “How are the people of Alva?” Rugrat asked.

  “They’re okay…” Delilah felt as though she were missing something—they had just had a meeting on how the people of Alva were.

  “I mean, what is the sentiment of the people? With this kind of tragedy, it has a chance to break a group.”

  Delilah thought about the people she had seen, and all the meetings. “It seems their identity as people of Alva has grown stronger. They have their history as people outside of it, but many of them are referring to themselves as Alvans now. Some people are complaining about taking Vuzgal and helping these other groups that aren’t part of Alva. They don’t see why we need to help them. Others are sticking up for you and Erik, saying that it’s what Alva does; they stand together and they do what is right, even if it is hard. People will not like everything, and there will always be naysayers, but the people of Alva are no longer a group of wandering villagers. They don’t know what your plans are for Vuzgal, but they and I trust you and Erik completely,” Delilah explained.

  “That’s good, and nice that they’re not following us blindly,” Rugrat said with a tension relieving breath.

  Delilah cocked her head to the side.

  “Having the power to do as we want is good at times. At others, we want to hear suggestions. It’s like how you have implemented a great number of changes in Alva, but you didn’t need to have us say yes to everything,” Rugrat offered.

  Delilah nodded hesitantly. She didn’t get it all but she was thankful for the praise.

  “Now, one thing I want you to focus on is increasing the policing force. We have three people watching over Alva. I want to increase that to fifteen and then one cop for every fifty residents. It’s not that I don’t trust the residents, but if the Alvan army is out as they are now, then I want to have a reserve militia type force in place. Egbert is powerful but he is one person. The “Adventurer’s Guild is also strong but they’re all over the place. With the policing force, they can be trained to specifically defend Alva until reinforcements arrive. Also, it gives people who like the military, or the Adventurer’s Guild, a place to be while remaining in Alva. There should be a military in Alva, but
they will focus on external operations and might be called away. Our military is small but it is getting immensely powerful.”

  “We have been building up a police force but there isn’t much for them to do. Alva is rather peaceful.” Delilah said.

  “I hope it stays that way, but we’ve what gout four times the amount of residents now?”

  “Close to three thousand Alvans that live within the dungeon, another two thousand that are in the realms, trading, part of the adventurer’s association or pursuing a craft or their own path,” Delilah said.

  “I hope that the police never have to do anything, but we still need them. If we can’t enforce our laws, then there is no need for them. What have they been doing with the extra time?”

  “They are training in the battlefield Dungeon, they are reading up on the fighting manuals, they havve regular sparring and fitness tests. They have some of their people in the higher realms increasing their levels and assisting people. Actually, there is something that I wanted to bring up on behalf of them,” Delilah crossed her hands.

  Rugrat leaned forward, interested.

  “We have nearly half of our people roaming the realms, the police force has asked if they might be given the power to randomly check on the differen groups we control. Report on the Traders, the Adventurer’s and so on?”

  Rugrat sunk into thought. “I like it, but I don’t want them to be in the shadows, Elan and Egbert watch over our people to see what they’re doing in the dark. The Police force will act in a more offical way. Have them go to these different groups and audit them. They check their goods, they ride along with them and then report back to their overseers what they’ve seen. How is the court system?”

  “We have it prepared but we haven’t used it for much other than disputes between traders and fines for people that didn’t obey certain rules of Alva,” Delilah read off a piece of paper on her note pad.

  “Okay, we need to make sure that the system remains neutral. There might be people with concerns or don’t think that things are above board. Elan and his people will be watching the police force closer than anyone else as they have an incredible amount of power,” Rugrat said.

  “Okay, so allow them to audit different groups and go to the other realms, but create an oversight with Elan so that they can’t step out of bounds,” Delilah wrote down her notes as Rugrat let out a small laugh and sat back in his seat.

  Delilah looked at him with a curious look.

  “Sorry, just, well I didn’t realize how much Alva has matured. Seeing how you react to a big task as if its nothing much.”

  “Well,” Delilah seemed at a loss for words, as she frowned.

  “That, right there,” Rugrat pointed at her expression. “That shows me that you’ve made the position yours. Inside you don’t think that it’s much, but let me tell you it is. Erik and I are good soldiers, but neither of us are great leaders. We can train troops, we can teach ‘em how to fight. We can be devious bastards. Control an army in the thousands and get them to fight effectively? There was a reason that we mainly left the Tareng forces to control the defense.”

  “But,” Delilah seemed to have a hard time putting her thoughts into words. “You’re Erik and Rugrat!”

  “Thank you dear, I was forgetting my name for a bit there,” Rugrat winked and laughed at Delilah’s eye rolling.

  “We’re two people, people, not some all powerful mighty greek gods that can do everything and anything and fart hawaiian breeze. We might have started Alva, but you and the people of Alva, those on the council. You’ve taken our foundations and built a city upon it. We grow enough food in three months to supply us for a year. You’re constantly changing and upgrading the school system, children are coming out with an education that only sect members could enjoy in the third realm. Eighty percent of the population is an apprentice in at least two crafts. Twenty to Thirty percent have reached Journeyman in at least on craft, three percent have reached mid Journeyman level in at least one craft. That is one hundred and fifty Journeyman level crafters! That is no small thing,” Rugrat said, giving her a look that tried to impress upon her all that she and Alva had achieved.

  She looked down, taking in his words, deeply affected by them.

  “There was a lady who came from Vermire a few weeks ago, she was older, forty or so. She had run away from home and an arranged marriage, she was barely making ends meet but she worked hard in taverns, she worked hard but she was stepped on her entire life. She applied for a position with Vermire. She went through the screening and arrived here in Alva. She was scared, didn’t know what was going on, she had taken a jump and she didn’t know where she would fall. Her future a mystery.

  I saw her as she arrived and then she went on to the classes, to learn more about Alva, to learn about the academy. Didn’t hear from her for weeks. Then the other day she came to my office. She was working at one of the bars and learning in the academy’s night classes. She came in, this woman hardened against the world and started crying in that very chair.

  “She hadn’t eaten in two days, she didn’t have the money for it, she had been sleeping outside. When she arrived here, she was able to get a warm meal, able to drink clean water, to sleep in a bed.”

  Delilah held out her fingers, as she repeated herself. “Water, food and a roof over her head. Just for these three acts of kindness changed her world. She was then checked over and healed by the doctors, she found a job and gained a loan and a small apartment. She is debt, sure, but she has a life here, food, water and shelter. Those things aren’t as common as many think.”

  They sat there for a minute as Rugrat shifted awkwardly, not sure what to say or do.

  “And you know what, I might only have about one to three people per group send me a message, or meet me. They’ve come through their own trials, but Alva has given them a harbor from the world. All of them want to thank you and Erik. You might have only founded Alva, but you have set a direction for us and you could have run away but you keep coming back, pouring out all of your wealth and materials to help us grow. The libraries are filled with books you and Erik have gathered. Traders come back and donate more books for free. You know why?”

  “Why?” Rugrat asked, having to clear his throat.

  “When you and Erik came back you always had books with you, they keep that tradition alive. Quietly passing books to Egbert, growing Alva’s knoweldge and strengthening younger generations. When you took Vuzgal, you started to ship back mountains of resources, trusting in us to organize them, to sell, to sell to our students and upgrade the city with. That is not how the ten realms works. Leaders hoard everything that they can, only giving out scraps to others. You take little for yourselves and give all you can. Why are you racing to increase your strenght, the strength of the army?”

  “Well, so they can protect Alva if we can’t, and to get more to help Alva, and it’s people. To see more, we just want to grow you know, we’re not completely selfless,” Rugrat rebutted.

  “Yes, I am acutely aware of how human you are, remember I was there when you had food poisoning,” Delilah said in a peturbed voice.

  “Ahhh, damn,” Rugrat chuckled.

  “The thing is, you are both increasing your strength as a challenge to one another, but as you do, you pull Alva up with you. Look at our forces, you could have taken the lions share of the experience. Instead you raised our army’s strength so that they would be an elite fighting force even in the sixth realm.”

  Rugrat didn’t know what to say, he felt as if he was boxed in by her words.

  “Thank you,” Rugrat said, looking to Delilah.

  “Sometime it’s hard for us to realize what we’ve done and who we’ve affected without someone telling us.”

  “Yeah,” Rugrat murmured.

  There was a knock at the door, disrupting their conversation. Rugrat cleared up his notes and George licked his chops and paws.

  “Come in,” Rugrat said.

  The door opened as Elan Si
laz entered the room.

  “George, get out of the way, will you?” Rugrat asked, seeing the wolf lying in the middle of the floor.

  George wandered back to his bed in the corner as Elan made to bow.

  Rugrat waved his hand. “Never been one for bowing, so no need to do it here.” Rugrat indicated to the open seat and Elan sat down next to Delilah.

  “Welcome to Alva. I might be a bit late in saying that but I know your boys and Qin are happy to have you here. Just things got busy, and well, you found us on your own. Now I need you to find something else for us,” Rugrat announced.

  “Erik and I come from a place called Earth. We’re transcenders, or people from outside of the Ten Realms. You’ve probably heard of the myths and legends and how empires usually burn after the arrival of transcenders from other places. Don’t worry—we’re not here to make that much chaos. Though, there are more people out there who are from Earth. I know that your network is vast. Alva is willing to invest into the Silaz trading house to make sure that it increases in size. On the outside, you will be a trader of weapons, armors, clothing, etc. for monster cores and Mana stones. Under that, I want you to recruit people from across the realms for Alva. People who are hard workers and who want to build a new life, much like the people that you have brought to Vermire. I also want you to go and search for people from Earth. Where Erik and I come from.”

  Elan, to his credit, didn’t show much of a change in expression. “At first, I thought you came from some greater power in the higher realms. Then I thought that you were hiding out in the First Realm to make a comeback. Then I found out that you had built this. Actually learning that you’re not from the Ten Realms makes it a bit easier to deal with all of the surprises,” Elan explained and then laughed.

  Rugrat smiled and continued. “It’s not something that we’ve revealed to many, but if you are looking for people from Earth, ask them if they’ve ever bathed in mangos, sat on the United States of America or went up under to Australia. That should get their attention. The sentences make no sense, Australia and the United States are countries while mangos are a fruit. People from the realms won’t know what you’re talking about. People from Earth will look at you as if you’re insane,” Rugrat said. “Make sure to be discreet. There are probably quite a few who have made a stir. Even if there is only information of them heading to the higher realms, let Delilah know. So, would you be willing to retire?” Rugrat asked.