Chapter 23

It took Flint and Adam three days of endless work to finish the wall. Having company didn’t just make the work go faster but made it more pleasant too. Adam didn’t talk much but still managed to be great company. He made faces, juggled the cumbersome building blocks, and hummed.

On their first day on the job, Adam disappeared for two hours and returned with several metal wheels and ropes. Flint couldn’t be happier as together. They managed to rig a pulley system to lift stones to the top of the wall. It sped up the process and saved both a whole lot of energy.

Even though Adam wasn’t a builder, [Smithing] and [Hammer Play] made him good with his hands. Flint used [Shape] to make blocks, and they piled them onto the lift together. Once at the top, Adam followed his instructions regarding their placement and then it was a matter of using [Bind]. Together, they raised the wall by four feet instead of two like he initially planned. Then Flint finished the ramparts himself.

Meanwhile, Maya and Bjorn frolicked outside of the walls. Thanks to [Keen Eye], Flint had little trouble watching the horizon, and if anything ever felt off, he only had to whistle. His pack came running, usually with a deer, hare, or some other prey animal. Maya moved so fast now that she reminded Flint of the shadow cats from the Wyld forests. Former frontline soldiers occasionally found abandoned kittens and tamed them. The felines moved so fast they might as well have been a blur.

Bjorn’s speed had increased too, but he was nowhere near as fast as Maya. However, with every passing day, he grew in size and beefier. It looked like a Wyldarrow would barely phase him now. When Bjorn returned dragging a moose one day, Flint had to have a strong word with the pair.

“Don’t leave the plains!” He had scolded them. “Stay close to the walls, alright?”

Maya had yapped at him and then licked his hands with flat years. It was clear through their empathic link that she understood Flint’s words. On the other hand, Bjorn stared at them with his tongue out and tail swishing from side to side. Flint knew that the big snow dog wasn’t stupid, but understanding the common tongue was still beyond. It was likely he’d lived most of his life taking orders in whatever language they spoke in the snowy wastes. Perhaps he understood fae tongue, instead. Fortunately, they could still communicate through their empathic link. It was better than nothing.

Flint summoned Bjorn and Maya back inside the walls before casting his final [Bind] and completing the wall. He wanted his pack there for the noteworthy moment. A little over a week had passed since he started the objective, but it felt like an eternity. When Flint placed the final block and used [Bind], a rush of energy pulsed through him, it felt like he’d taken a strong shot of fire whisky. His canine companions froze for a moment and then gave themselves a good shake. They had felt the change too.

All three of them looked at the Heartstone standing not far uphill. Its rainbow runes glowed bright, now clearly visible to them due to the increased height. While Adam remained on the walls, admiring the view while Flint and his pack rushed to meet the stone monolith. He jogged despite his fatigue after a day full of work. Meanwhile, Maya and Bjorn bounced around him with their tongues hanging out. The pair ran much faster than him, of course, but they chose to move slowly to stay by his side.

Once at his destination, Flint pressed his hands to the Heartstone and let it suck his mind into its machinations. Much to Flint’s surprise, the space within was no longer an expanse of endless whiteness. Instead, he found himself standing in the forts’ restored grounds at sunset. There were no people around, but he could hear people laughing and talking. The smell of grilling meat and mead filled the air.

The pedestal called to Flint, and he rushed forward to meet it. Ink seeped through the yellowed pages to greet him.

[Saving the Savior]

The Sleeping Fort is now reasonably safe. Scaling the walls is no longer an easy feat and will function as a worthwhile deterrent.

Since you’re a Kennel Master and construction is one of your loves, you may now work on three objectives simultaneously at a leisurely pace.

[Preparing the fort for reawakening]

[Objective I]
Restore or build three structures or commodities between the inner and outer defences.
You have already completed one structure and need to complete two more.
Reward: Crafting-focused skill stone and intermediate knowledge for the user.

[Objective II]
Install three traps between the inner and outer defences.
Reward: Crafting-focused skill stone and immediate knowledge for the user.

[Objective III]
Repair the inner wall’s gates.
Reward: Two ability upgrade stones

Completion Reward: Reawakening of the fort’s internal Heartstone. Access to the Sleeping Fort’s [City Planning Table].

The multitude of objectives coming my way took me by surprise. I expected the Heartstone to give me one to replace the old one, not three. The fact that all three came with tantalising rewards got my heart pumping. I wasn’t too keen on getting a crafting-focused skill stone for my [Mind Node]. High-ranking archers in the Iron Army often slotted [Fletching] into the position. They used it to power up their projectiles or conjured them out of thin air. However, Flint didn’t like that its sole focus was combat and marksmanship. He hoped the class quest would give him something better suited for his purposes.

If he didn’t get something well-suited for Adam or Twylip, he hoped to trade the crafting skill stones with the residents of Lea’s Slumber. Perhaps they’d have a useful stone or other resources beneficial for the Sleeping Fort.

The upgrade stones excited Flint a lot more. Even though they only affected abilities, the rare objects were more valuable than second-tier skill stones. They allowed upgrading an ability to its next tier. Flint wondered how the process would affect the likes of [Shape] and [Totem of Healing]. Both had proven themselves as invaluable abilities. [Keen Eye] and [Steady Hand] could greatly benefit from such upgrades too.

Finally, Flint turned his focus on the ‘Completion Reward’. Gaining access to another Heartstone would make life easier if he could find people to man the fort. However, he didn’t know the first thing about [City Planning Tables]. Flint assumed it was something the [City Planner] class could build but didn’t know the first thing about their capabilities. He imagined a worktop covered in schematics but guessed it could do a lot more, much like his totems.

Before finishing his communion with the Heartstone, Flint checked the [Node Compass]. Much to his disappointment, nothing had changed. Neither [Guide Growth] nor [Totem of Nurture] had gained a rank. Flint hadn’t tested [Marking Shot] either. The name didn’t sound particularly impressive. However, Flint didn’t want to get caught out in a fight again and wanted to make most of his available tools. So, he planned on making a target range and testing the ability. Judging by the name and location, it would require Maya and Bjorn present to make the most of it all.

Dusk was approaching, and the dogs appeared hungry, so Flint hurried back to camp after finishing at the Heartstone. Twylip sat by the fire cooking, and Adam was washing himself up by the pool. Their prisoner, Winona, wasn’t idle either. She had a variety of herbs piled next to her and was busy picking the leaves off of them.

After cleaning themselves up, they all sat down for dinner together. Winona had already figured out that he had a life quest, so he didn’t bother keeping his volume down.

“You need to build a moat,” Twylip said after Flint detailed his new objectives. “Or a body of water that runs across the pass. Put a collapsible bridge across it, and you’ll kill several builds with one stone. Miss Lya says the fae don’t like running water.”

“That’s only applicable for races that ally with fire, earth or death,” Winona said, even though she was seated far from them.

Twylip fell silent. She didn’t spare the prisoner a glance. I couldn’t tell whether it was a race issue or Winona’s status as a prisoner that disturbed her.

“What about you?” Flint asked, turning away from the fire to face her. “Do you and your fellow moon mages draw power from the tide and flowing water?”

Winona shrugged. “As far as I know, I’m the last,” she answered, looking up at the crescent moon above. “I’ve grown stronger during high tides, but that’s only because the moon is closer.”

Flint found another point of familiarity with Winona. She, too, was an orphan. The more he saw himself in her, the more sympathetic he felt. He believed if not for the war, the pair would’ve struck up a friendship as a kindred spirit.

“It’s not a bad plan, though,” Winona said. “Most troll species are terrified of water. You’ll lock them out with such a move.”

“Thank you,” Flint said, shooting her a smile. He needed to figure out what to do with her soon—keeping her tied up forever felt wrong. However, he wasn’t sure whether her openness was an act to lure them into a false sense of security. He didn’t sense any nefarious intentions from her. Unfortunately, she was one of the high-fae, and he had heard that they came with a multitude of tricks. Even though Flint had brought the matter up before and Winona had rejected the suggestion, he tried again. “Why don’t you just swear a blood oath and join us?”

Twylip cleared her throat, but Flint ignored her. The apothecary woman had made her distrust of Winona clear. On the other hand, Adam didn’t care.

“You might have Wyldblood, but I can’t tell whether all of this is an act or not, Flint,” Winona answered. “I just can’t trust you, I’m afraid. Besides, when the Wyld’s troops get here, they’re going to take out anyone standing between them and their goal. I don’t want to be an obstacle for them to take down.”

“Then why bother giving us tips and information.” Twylip snorted, rolling her eyes.

“Initially, I wanted you dead. My ties to my subordinates weren’t strong, but the scoutmaster trusted me with their safety.” Winona sighed. “You might not look at me directly, Twylip, but you treat me with more decency than the fae treat each other. You’ve provided a salve for my burns and comfortable clothes. Flint treats me with respect when most would torture their prisoners and violate them.” Winona’s eyes locked with Flint’s as she spoke. He struggled to look away from her steely grey-blue irises. “Despite what we were taught, you’re not wild, greedy animals, and I’d rather not see you slaughtered. Deterrents won’t win a siege for you, but if you delay the Wyld enough, perhaps you can find another route of escape.”

The campsite fell silent after her final statement. Only the sounds of crackling fire and Bjorn eviscerating a moose bone remained.

[Due to preparing for a move I've had a pile up of unedited chapters. Expect a mass release over the next 2-3 days as I sort through the edits]