Chapter 37

The following morning, Flint woke to his bedroll and shirt soaked in sweat. Maya had returned during the night, and when she found Bjorn in her place laid out next to Flint, she had piled on across the pair. Even though Flint enjoyed being a part of the dogpile, his body was much too hot. He crawled out from underneath the team, pulled on a pair of trousers and exited his shelter.

The skies were already orange and crimson with dawn’s lights, and the camp still smelled of the last night’s stew. He saw people sleeping outside, and [Keen Eye] highlighted others through holes in the walls. Flint felt terrible about making them sleep outside after everything they’d been through but hoped it would convince them to move back uphill.

Flint washed up and relieved himself. Ed joined him just as he was about to serve himself cold leftovers for breakfast.

“You can sleep in, Ed,” Flint said. “After everything you lot have been through, I don’t expect everyone to start working straight away. Given all the work you put in last night, it’s alright if you rest.”

“I’ve not had the chance to work in weeks, Mr Flint,” Ed replied. “The slave brand left me feeling helpless, hopeless, and useless. I no longer want to feel useless. Let me help, please. Give me work.”

“Did you think about what you’d like to do with your future?”

Ed nodded. “I don’t want to be a builder. However, I like the skill and don’t want to give it up either. So, I went down to the Heartstone before bed and moved the stone to my [Mind Node]”

“What did it give you?” Flint asked.

“I got [Earth Moulding] as my first ability.” Ed pressed his hand to the ground next to him, and light brown light pulsed down his arms. It travelled through his fingertips and into the ground, making it ripple. When Ed raised his hand, a spike followed. “It’s like the [Shape] ability you use, Mr Flint.”

“It appears to work a lot faster and allows for rougher shapes, though,” Flint commented. “You pulled it out of the ground like it were your pocket. It takes me much longer to do the same.”

Flint took the spike off Ed and tested it. It felt no different from the ambient stone, showing the same hardness and weight. Curious about his new ability, Flint used [Change Density] and willed the spike to get denser. It shrunk in his hands, getting skinnier and darker. The brand new ability drained a lot more energy than he initially expected, but the two totems would replenish him during breakfast, so he continued pouring. Eventually, Flint ended up with an almost black stone needle. The point appeared dull, but he could feel the transformed material’s strength.

“That was amazing,” Ed said, wide-eyed. He took the spike from Flint, tested its flexibility and poked himself with it. “You can’t even tell that it’s the same stone!” Ed held the spike with both hands and tried bending it until his face went red. He made no headway without [Builder’s Brawn]. “You try, Mr Flint.”

Despite [Builder’s Brawn], Flint made little headway with the spike. After all, builders were expected to break stone with tools, not their hands. It didn’t give Flint the strength he wanted. So, he channelled [Change Density] and the spike expanded, softening in his hands. The stone didn’t resume its original, smooth, conical shape. Instead, it took on a warped cylindrical form. Eventually, parts of it broke off as holes started to form, and Flint found himself with a clump of dust.

“Is that ability from [Building]?” Ed asked.

Flint shook his head. “I placed [Alteration] in my [Mind Node].” He passed the lump of crumbling stone, and most of it crumbled. Ed turned the remains into another spike, and the resulting creation was smaller. However, it featured the same hardness as the original material. Flint wondered whether at higher ranks [Change Density] would let him change the material altogether. “You could probably use your new [Earth Moulding] comfortably in combat and for building too.”

Ed nodded. “It feels more energy-efficient than [Shape] too.”

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes to eat and get ready,” Flint said. “Then we’ll see how energy efficient it really is.”

“Yes, Mr Flint!” Ed exclaimed, excitedly jumping to attention. Flint waited for the boy to rush to the pool before laughing. He liked the boy’s spirit. The newcomers weren’t due to assemble for a meeting until noon. So, he decided to make the most of the time and get the current project out of the way.

Despite the countless new concerns, Flint remained wary of his objectives. After completing the bridge and resetting the door trap, he still needed to construct another trap and fix the inner gate’s mechanism. Hopefully, the [City Planning Table] would give him the tools to better manage the relevant grounds and perhaps empower critical buildings.

[Earth Moulding] proved a more efficient digging ability than [Shape]. It let Ed move stone much faster than Flint but tired him out within an hour. The combat applications were apparent, but the ability would need a couple of ranks before it was ready. Ed didn’t shape the mould the stone into ideal blocks either. However, Flint let it go on account of his inexperience. He highlighted Ed’s shortcomings and advised him to work on them.

“So, what would you like to do with your future, Ed?” Flint asked as they finished the digging. “I appreciate your help, but I don’t want you continuing in a field you don’t particularly enjoy.”

“Until recently, I was ready to spend my life building for the Iron Army,” he replied. “My mother wanted me gone on account of my father being fae, and I was afraid of continuing to lie about my identity.”

“How did you get away with it in the first place? Didn’t they want to check your papers?”

“I come from a village near where the front lines are now. The war destroyed everything, Mr Flint. They were willing to believe that my paperwork burned with the village.” Ed sighed. After a short rest, he had recovered enough energy to continue working. Using [Earth Moulding], he smoothed out the walls and floors before curving the corners along the moat’s bottom. Any troll that fell in would have a tough time getting out. “Anyway. I was hoping to serve two to three terms as you did and then head off somewhere they don’t ask for papers.”

“I imagine that changed after your adventure with Colonel Smith?”

Ed nodded. “I want the strength to defeat myself and people I care about,” he answered. “I had friends in the company Colonel Smith got killed. I watched helplessly as the axe-carrying monsters chopped them into pieces.” He chuckled, eyes filling with tears. “I was ready for them to do the same to me, but they left me alive because I’m young and have a nice face. I don’t want to think about where I would’ve ended up if not for you, Mr Flint.”

The boy looked like he needed comfort. Even though Flint disliked physical contact, he broke his rule and pulled Ed into a hug. “It’s alright, mate. As long as you live within these walls, I’ll ensure no one takes away your power to choose.”

Ed embraced Flint, and the tears intensified. After a quick cry, Ed pulled away. He smiled at Flint, wiping his eyes. “Even if you give me orders I don’t agree with?”

Flint shrugged. “You have the power to choose whether to follow an order or not,” Flint answered. “I’m the one taking care of this place, not your commanding officer. I might ask things of you, and it’s your decision whether you’d like to follow it or not. Now tell me, what kind of combatant would you like to be? [Earth Moulding] gives you a fair bit of defence.”

“I want to be quick,” Ed answered. “I’d like to create obstacles and dance around my targets, making their life miserable.”

“You and Maya will make great friends,” Flint commented, chuckling.

The sheepdog raised her head, glancing at the pair. She watched them for a moment before returning to her nap. Flint didn’t know yet what had happened the night before—he still hadn’t encountered Winona. However, the empathic link told him that Maya was exhausted and didn’t like how intrusive the new people were. She’d followed Flint after waking up to get away from them.

The time to congregate with the others were rapidly approaching, and people were already crossing the bridge and heading towards the fort. Flint built ladders on either side of the moat so residents could climb out in case they fell in. Then he climbed to the top and had Ed mould the moat’s edges to make them rounded. For the sake of safety, he intended to have a good swimmer posted by the bridge for when people fell in.

“We’ll fill it later,” Flint said. “I think I’ve found the sewer system, but we’ll need to ensure there are no blockages that can lead to flooding.”

As they were walking away, Flint felt a distant hum. He spun around, looking back towards the Heartstone, and the feeling intensified. It took him a moment to put two and two together. The ancient pillar counted the moat and bridge as two separated traps.

“Go on without me, Ed. I’ll see you in a moment.”

Ed glanced up at the sky. “Are you sure? We don’t have a lot of time.”

Flint nodded. “I’m getting used to running up and downhill. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Ed appeared hesitant but nodded and headed uphill. Flint smiled, watching him go. The Iron Army often gave high-performing, second-term builders an apprentice. Teaching them the Building Division’s ways and training them was their responsibility. Flint would often wonder how it would be like to have one—even though he preferred spending his free time with dogs. Now that he had someone young and impressionable to guide, Flint felt a new warmth in his that he only felt with his pack.

After getting through the crowds heading in the opposite direction, Flint made a beeline for the Heartstone. He communed with the stone pillar with his heart pounding out of his chest.

Objective completed!

Choose one of the following skill stones.

· Fletching

· Enchanting

· Tinkering

As far as Flint knew, [Enchanting]’s effects were temporary unless the runes had a source of magic—essence. They had a couple of fletchers in the settlement now but no materials for making bolts. As a result, it didn’t count as the best of picks. The concept of [Tinkering] intrigued Flint.

Adam had displayed an aptitude for simple mechanisms and had an elegant touch. If he combined his current skills with [Tinkering], he’d become a valuable asset for the fort. Not only would his creations help protect the hub but they would become another valuable product for trade. Flint picked the stone and rushed uphill towards the fort.