Soldier's Life - 433 - Maveith

Chapter 433: Maveith

Maveith realized this was all Eryk’s fault. The next time he saw Eryk, he would make sure he voiced his anger at being put in this position by Eryk’s machinations. Maybe he could find a reason to tell Eryk that now. It should take a few months. Then he remembered Myra and his children—no, he could not leave them.

“There are two more petitioners this morning, Honorable Maveith.” A goliath in black robes said loudly, catching Maveith’s attention. That was his seneschal, Oberth. He had been assigned to guide Maveith through these sessions. Oberth had been one of the council that had pushed Maveith into the role of being the Arbiter for all the Goliath clans. An ancient title that essentially made him a lord, and his word was now law.

Maveith watched as a wide-bodied goliath entered. He was wearing a worn leather apron, and the Oberth announced him. “Master Shipwright Kinnel of Clan Seawaters.”

Maveith was immediately irate as the shipwright bowed. How many times did he have to tell his people he did not want to be bowed to? The master shipwright spoke. “Honorable Maveith. I come to offer my services to lay a keel for a warship.”

Maveith was confused. The clans did not have warships, only merchants and fishing vessels. “To what purpose, Master Kinnel?”

The shipwright replied calmly. “To patrol our waters. The archipelago pirates continue to raid along our northern coast, take our people, and steal from the villages.” Kinnel explained while making eye contact.

“We do not have funds to maintain a warship or sailors or warriors for such a ship,” Maveith replied after a brief pause of thought.

Seneschal Oberth interrupted. “We had three hundred volunteers for a standing militia that answered your call.” Maveith ground his teeth. He had only suggested they form patrols to hunt the predators in the jungle and the remaining manticores. Instead, they took his request to form a standing militia. “The first trade ship from the dungeon surplus, netted one hundred six gold, 45 silver, and 99 coppers. If the delve teams continue their productive delves, we can send a ship every month.”

Maveith rubbed his bald head as he felt a headache coming on. He was never good with coin and found it annoying to carry around. He much preferred barter, which the clans had relied on for so many years. “Do we have weather mages for such a warship?” he finally asked.

“Three water mages and one air mage are among the volunteers,” Oberth replied with a creeping smile.

“How strong?” Maveith asked, not being swayed. His question caused Oberth’s smile to vanish.

“One of the water mages can cast true spells,” the seneschal admitted.

Maveith turned back to the shipwright. “How long would a warship take for you to build, and would it affect your offer contracts?”

The shipwright stood taller. “The Seawaters Clan is prepared to devote all seventy members to the construction. The wood is dried and ready to be worked. We can have your vessel in seven months. As to our other obligations—they understand the necessity.”

Oberth inserted himself again. “We have food stores for the people for nine months. The cold caves you thought to build are packed.” Maveith nodded since it was only a suggestion from him. Set up warehouses for food in case of a calamity.

“Was the census completed then?” Maveith asked, finally interested. He had asked for a census thinking it would distract the seneschal from him.

The seneschal took out a paper and read from it. “One hundred and two thousand with an estimated three thousand abroad.”

Maveith slowly nodded. A ship to protect one hundred thousand of his people was a good thing. “Build the warship and start training a crew immediately. Pirate season is just a few months away.” The shipwright bowed and retreated with a satisfied smile.

“Who is next?” Maveith asked impatiently with the end in sight.

“The alchemists’ guild,” Seneschal Oberth announced. A goliath with aged wrinkles entered the reception hall with rapid steps. He bowed slightly to Oberth and more deeply to Maveith. Maveith grumbled under his breath that this was all Eryk’s fault again to himself.

“Master Alchemist Karrun, what can I help you with today?” Maveith said respectfully. The alchemist grimaced a little as he felt he didn’t deserve the title of master.

“I came to petition again for an alchemy college. You said the cost was too great, so I have found several clans to donate materials and other clans to volunteer the labor to construct it within Eternis.” Maveith looked at his seneschal, who gave a slight shrug. It appeared Oberth didn’t know everything. Maveith was becoming concerned that every suggestion he made turned into a massive project. He could blame Eryk for this as well, as the alchemists had been furiously replicating his aether restoration recipe.

The goliaths had no normal schools on Stone Mountain Island. Every master typically took on one to three apprentices. When Maveith had suggested the best alchemists on the island work together to work on the recipe, he hadn’t foreseen this outcome. Maveith rubbed his forehead again, trying to decide if diverting so many clans to such a project was worth it.

Goliaths typically had very small aether pools, so the potions were not valuable to his people. He was reluctant to send them for trade as it would draw attention to Stone Mountain Island and the dungeon resources they were only starting to exploit. “How large of a college?” Maveith asked slowly.

“Large enough for twenty masters and one hundred apprentices,” Karrun said unflinchingly.

“That is too large a structure; we only have four master alchemists in the city.” Maveith intoned.

“Four goliath master alchemists. There are nine master alchemists on the Island, and the school will educate more,” Karrun countered.

“And what of your secrets?” Maveith questioned.

“We cannot keep them forever,” Karrun said dismissively. Senechal Oberth bristled, and Maveith cocked his brow in question. Karrun continued. “There is the possibility to export the potions and make thousands of gold for our people. Your search for a collector could be realized.”

Maveith reclined on his common-looking seat, wondering where the alchemist had heard of his search. He had been trying to find a collector for purchase for months, but they were rare. The only dungeon that was known to produce them was in the Telhian Empire, and there were very few master artificers who could make the complex rune work. Most artificed collectors deteriorated with use. Even a used collector was expensive, and that was if you could find one for sale.

“Build your alchemy college in the eastern district,” Maveith stated. Oberth looked to object, but Maveith stared at him to prevent questioning him. There were no poor goliaths on the island, but the goliaths who resided there were the most destitute. Maveith figured the college would revitalize the area, and there was a hill with a magnificent view there as well.

“As you will, Honorable Maveith,” the master alchemist bowed, grinning madly.

Maveith exhaled in relief. “We are done?”

“There is just a review of the renovation of the docks and sanitation installations,” the seneschal said unfazed by Maveith’s discomfort.

Three hours later, Maveith was in his apartments spinning his daughter overhead. As she giggled madly, he grinned and laughed with her. “Put Zina down! I just fed her. You are going to make her puke again!” Myra said, alarmed. She waddled to her feet, pregnant with their second child. Maveith didn’t stop, and Myra’s omen was realized.

After cleaning up the pungent mess, Zina was reloading on her mother’s breast. Maveith collapsed into the chair beside her and reached out to rub her shoulder. She flinched reflexively, and Maveith forced down the anger in his gut. She had come a long way in the last year, but she was still affected by her past. Zorana, his sister, still wouldn’t entertain men’s advances, but she was much better at hiding her abuse. If he could, Maveith would kill every orc warlord in the Caliphate.

He could at least take action against the pirates who nested their fleets a few hundred miles from Stone Mountain Island in the Archipelago. The Archipelago was dangerous, with a maze of reefs and dozens of veteran pirate captains. At least each operated independently. One day, he would eliminate the threat. For now, there were spotters and a fast-response militia ready when a sighting occurred. Myra rested her hand reassuringly on Maveith’s. “I will never turn away your touch,” she said, smiling. “How were the petitions today?” Maveith went into excruciating detail of each petition and as Myra encouraged him.

“I am heading up to the dungeon tomorrow,” Maveith said later as they prepared for bed.

Myra laughed. “You can run away every time you get sick of solving our people’s problems!”

Maveith grumbled. “I don’t solve anything. I ask a question or two, and others come up with a solution.”

“Sure, Big Guy.” She rubbed his leg provocatively, using her pet name for him. She always knew how to take his mind off his problems.

After spending time with Zina in the morning, Maveith made the trek to the dungeon. He wore all the pieces of the sentinel set: the helm, boots, shield, and belt. Even though nothing on the route could threaten him, he was still accompanied by six of his guards. On reaching the small town that was being built around the entrance, his hand slipped to the head of his hammer. Sometimes, bashing things helped him relieve the stress. Myra couldn’t.

The delver hall had goliaths drinking, eating, and relaxing when he entered. Two goliaths rose from a table to greet him. There were three goliath delve teams, and each of the teams had a leader. The two men who approached him now were two of those leaders. “What news, Tarnak and Vekkas?” Maveith greeted both with a strong wrist shake.

“A few injuries, but no deaths. Are you here for a hydra attempt?” Tarnak asked hopefully. His thick neck tendons bulged in anticipation.

“We will not challenge the hydra until we have more sentinel gear,” Maveith reiterated. Tarnak sighed. The appearance of the sentinel gear had dropped off dramatically, with a piece of the gear only being found in the maze chest once every thirty or so delves. They had four complete sets, with Maveith and each delve leader wearing one.

The sentinel helm was the most commonly found, with nine helms found so far. The helm formed a set of illusory, matte black armor around the wearer. The illusion could be given substance if aether was invested. The second most common item was the sentinel shield, and seven shields had been found so far. The shields had a simple spell form to make them immoveable; they were also nearly indestructible artifacts. The boots gave a warrior not only surefootedness but also enhanced their speed, but only four had been found so far. Maveith was eager to test himself against Eryk while wearing the boots.

The fourth and final piece of the set was the belt. It was the most important piece for a goliath, and they had only found four so far in the reward chests. The belt gave a slight enhancement to strength, but more importantly, when someone wore all four pieces of the Sentinel armor, it synergized the set and enhanced the wearer’s channeling greatly. With the helm and boots drawing aether in combat, the belt helped extend the wearer’s combat effective time.

The two leaders gave Maveith a tour of the town and the warehouses. It had been almost three months since he was last here, and he was impressed with the progress. The town had just over a hundred tireless goliaths working. There was a memorial for the seven goliaths who had died in the dungeon. That was a rare occurrence these days with the leaders fully equipped in sentinel gear, but every few weeks, someone inevitably was killed.

The teams only cleared the first two chambers with the blood caterpillars and giant goats. They harvested golden figs for the alchemists, goat meat, and blood caterpillar silk. Sometimes, all three team leaders would enter together and clear the shadow cat room, but Maveith made it clear that the hydra room was off-limits. Being trapped inside with that beast was a recipe for disaster. They didn’t have a powerful mage like Eryk to rescue them if they made a mistake.

When Rhazak and his team exited a few hours later, Maveith and all three of the delve leaders entered. The clear was quick, but the goats gave them some problems jumping from the top of the maze wall, and Vekkas broke his arm. They used a precious dungeon healing potion to continue to the jungle room. There was no alpha shadow cat, so it was easily cleared. Maveith walked the corridor to the final room and confirmed the hydra was still there before they exited as a group.

It had taken them ten hours to clear the first three rooms, and the mindless bashing was just what Maveith needed. The best part was the illusory armor the helm created was cleaned when it ended. The four goliaths exited, each burdened with a pair of goat bodies and bundles of other harvests. The reward chests had been disappointing, with silver, some affinity essences, and a spellbook for an earth spell.

Maveith guards crowded the entrance as they exited. He could tell something was wrong immediately, and one of the guards confirmed it. “Seer Namao is dead.”

Maveith raced with his guards back to Eternis and down the shore to the village where Seer Namao lived. Bodies of fourteen goliaths were lined in the sand with three serpentine men. Maveith was not familiar with their race as he looked for someone to explain what had happened. He had a tense relationship with the seer, but she was probably one of the most powerful goliaths on Stone Mountain Island.

An impressive goliath, a head taller than Maveith, with a bloodied bandaged stump on his right wrist. He bowed to Maveith. “Honored Maveith. I am Mokin of the Sandspire Clan. I failed to protect Namao from the assassins,” he said morosely.

“Assassins?” Maveith said softly, taking in all the dead bodies of his people.

“The serpent men,” Mokin gestured toward the three bodies of the unfamiliar race. “I was told they are from the Brotherhood of Mitzra on the other side of the world.”

His seneschal walked out of one of the huts and confirmed. “That is correct. Why they targeted Seer Naoma is a mystery though.”

Maveith ground his teeth. The goliath people were known for remaining neutral in conflicts. Why would a nation target them? What could he do against an enemy that was so far away?

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