B4 Chapter 474: Runewrights, pt. 1

Kaius kept a brisk pace that was slower than he was used to. Every second step, his weight caused his prosthetic to slip into the soft loam of the governor’s garden.

“Are we close?” Kaius asked, keeping his left hand on Porkchop’s flank just in case he tripped.

“Yeah. The greenhouse she went to must be just on the other side of the manor grounds — five more minutes, tops.”

Kaius nodded, a stiff clench in his chest urging him on. There was no question about it now. The die had been cast — a tyrant was coming. The runner that had met them in the governor’s garden had confirmed it. The far scouts had seen it with their own eyes: beasts, by the thousands upon thousands, slowly making their way in the direction of Deadacre.

Hanrick’s response had been swift. He was making an announcement to the city immediately. Already, Kaius could hear the droning peals of bells ringing from wall to wall inside of Deadacre.

Their cadence was unmistakable — an official announcement. Those who cared to see what would happen, a solid portion of the city no doubt, would be flooding the massive open square at the front of the Governor’s Manor.

They, thankfully, had been given a room and balcony in a building along one flank. Ianmus was already on his way there. At least that was what the runner had said. He and the governor had been together when the news had come, busy with contacting Mystral.

The surroundings passed by in a blur — carved stone and the little greenery that existed in the city alike — as staff and guards swarmed like a kicked-over anthill.

“Boys!” Kenva yelled as they turned a corner.

They hurried over.

“You ready to leave?” Kaius asked.

The ranger nodded. “Porkchop gave me the news a couple of minutes before my runner arrived. I’ve already packed up the arrows I’ve managed to grow. Let’s move.”

They set off, following the directions that their runner had carefully imparted. The man had been surprisingly detailed, and with how clear their memories had gotten with their levels, it was easy to follow them.

“Are you producing as much as you hoped you would?” Porkchop asked as they all but jogged to their destination.

“Almost. The drain on my resources is far less that when I was working with the trees from the Depths, but it’s still a bit more than I would have liked. Like I suspected, the quality of the tree impacts the cost as well as the quality. I should still be producing enough to supply the defenders — I only managed to empty my pool twice, but I’ve already got enough to fill a couple of barrels.”

That was enough to bring a smile to Kaius’s face. A whole barrel. With that sort of pace, if Kenva dedicated herself, she could damn near store enough arrows for an entire regiment.

“And their performance?” Kaius asked.

“Around uncommon artefact, I think. Nothing fancy — but they’ll fly far and have good penetration.”

Uncommon. That was a surprise. While a dedicated crafter could no doubt create much more effective specimens, Kenva had been churning them out with a hundred-percent success rate, with no consumption of materials. It was a fantastic result.

Most archers made use of mundane materials. If she could make enough that every defender had at least a quiver full of her improved arrows, she would go a long way towards giving the guard a tool for critical threats.

Descending away from the manor, they hit a slight decline and ducked into the surrounding streets. Affluent as this district of the city was, the streets were wide and open. Already they were growing packed — people exiting their houses with confused expressions, and groups slowly making their way to the governor’s square.

Ignoring the looks they drew, Kaius hurried to their destination: a large building at the end of the street. The guards at the entrance let them in without a second glance, and a few minutes of rushing through its halls later, they arrived — a corner room at its highest level, its balcony perfectly positioned to give them a complete view of Hanrick’s podium and the square.

It was shockingly fancy. The kind of place that put the dusty stables to shame. Chairs were scattered across the room, each one a thing of ebony and stuffed, stiff cushions that looked like they would have taken a master upholsterer months to make.

Four staff members busied themselves at one end of the room, setting out a tablecloth on a wide table while others laid an assortment of snacks down atop it.

Kaius barely paid it attention, seeing Ianmus’s towering frame silhouetted against the horizon as he leaned against the railing of the balcony.

“Ianmus,” he called.

“Thank the gods,” the mage replied, turning as they joined him.

“Did you manage to send out the call to Mystral?” Kenva asked.

“Just. Our meeting had finished for all of three minutes before the runner arrived.”

Kaius frowned and nodded. Gods, it felt like watching the approach of a flash flood. The approaching beasts were glacially slow and terrifyingly fast all at once.

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“Please tell me the meeting went well, at least,” he said.

Ianmus let out a slow breath. “It did. We will have our cadre. Sunspire, Stone Spire, Oak Spire, and Stormspire are sending ten mages, headed by a handful of Silvers.”

Kaius leaned heavily into Porkchop. “They are? That’s fantastic.” That many accomplished mages would be phenomenal, let alone a Silver assistant. Hells — a stone or earth mage alone would be pivotal. In a siege, their ability to fortify, repair, and create defences could be the very thing that secured their victory.

“When are they coming?”

“Soon,” Ianmus replied. “Selecting and organising the cadre will take some time, but with Stormspire it is likely the actual journey will not take them long. They gave us an oath that the Ophelia herself would ensure swift transport — she’s renowned for her flight capabilities.”

“The Spire Masters, they won’t assist directly?”

“No. They’re spooked — worried about their own holdings. Besides, they have their hands full. Apparently, Mystral’s strongest have been busy defending against beasts from the deep.”

Sea monsters. Gods. Kaius almost preferred the idea of the siege that was coming for them. There was a reason people did not traverse the oceans lightly. The creatures that lived there were great and terrible, and dwarfed anything that could be found on land.

“The cadre will be enough,” Kaius said. “From what we’ve heard, the worst of the beasts are low steel. The true threat is the Tyrant. Between us, Arc, Rieker, and Ro? We should have it handled, even if it is holding a handful of stronger creatures in reserve.”

“I bloody hope you’re right,” Kenva said, leaning on the balcony’s railing to watch the crowd stream into the square.