World Sphere - 218 - Hints of Trouble

Chapter 218: Hints Of Trouble

Wynna had joined Callem to vet the earth mages, and I was happy the reader was coming. It was not for her ability as a reader but for her ability to read a person. She was an excellent judge of character, and her integrity had survived the Triumvirate families of Skyholme. She had been one of the few uncorrupted readers in Skyholme.

Like old times at the farm, I prepared us a meal during the trip to Llorth. “You have done so much at such a young age, Storme,” Wynna commented over some savory jellied pork chops. “I feel honored to have been part of your education.”

“I was fortunate to have grown up around so many excellent mentors,” I replied. The truth was that my primary influence had been my past life, but Wynna did not need to know that. “What happened with the captured Bruton Orcs?”

Callem had to pause in his enjoyment of the meal. “They were sent to the Adventurer’s Guild for execution as pirates, since there were a few open merchant postings on the Bruton attacks. They will be questioned and confirmed to have been part of the attacks before being executed. But the curious thing is, they were recruited from cities in the Endless Dark. The slums of Nazhohet and Charlinger.”

“Where are those cities?” I asked.

“The Endless Dark is like an onion, Strome. It is a vast three-dimensional maze of wonder, corruption, death, and ley lines. As to where those cities are? No one knows? Their name could have changed a dozen times, or they could have formed from the ashes of a long-dead city. Something is happening in the Endless Dark—the prisoners said the cities were vastly overcrowded, but there was little famine, and the rule of law is being enforced.”

“At least we are safe in the sky,” Aelyn mumbled.

I set down my fork. “Not so. The Bruton Kingdom was backed by someone wealthy to purchase those skyships. The orcs are definitely allied with whatever is moving under the surface.”

Callem nodded in agreement. “Not just in the Bruton Kingdom. The Adventurer’s Guild noted more than a dozen similar occurrences. Weak kingdoms in the lowlands are receiving an influx of capital to increase their forces. Most likely, war is on the horizon for the lowlands—at least in this region of the Sphere.”

Callem had already finished two servings. To break the dark mood, Callem smiled through his beard. “I missed your cooking, Storme. The Naval Academy kitchens lack your passion and attention to detail.”

“I know you well enough that you wish to add something,” I said, arching a brow.

Wynna answered for him, “He wants to include a culinary school at the merchant marine academy.”

Callem quickly added, “The galley is one of the most important areas on a ship. With long trips for your traders and dungeon hoppers, it could be important for maintaining morale.”

I pushed my plate away in thought. I had just turned half the hold of the Bacon and Eggs into a flour mill and bakery. “I agree,” I said. “Do you have your plans for the Merchant Marine Academy?”

The old man cleared his own plate and brought a satchel with the plans he had been reviewing at Twin Rocks Lake. “I want to keep the campus tight and preserve most of the woodlands. On this shore will be the docks, drydocks, and warehouse for training the shipwrights. We can probably make some coin by repairing merchant ships.” His finger slid across the site plan. “Then on this shore, there will be two oval buildings.”

I narrowed my eyes, “They look like eyes.” Something about the layout was tickling the back of my mind.

Callem laughed, “Isla’s doing. She wanted to add some character. When you look down from above—after the landscaping—the grounds will look like the head of a phantom cat.” Kiara raised her massive head and looked over, curious. She would have to wait until it was finished before she could see it, and I communicated that through our link. Right now, there were just sketches and building plans.

“I like it. It looks like one of these buildings is for classes, and the other is for conditioning and weapons training,” I said as I looked at the detailed floor plans for the two oval buildings.

“Yes, and these long lines through the woodlands are the six obstacle courses and would be the whiskers on the cat’s head,” Callem explained, clearly amusing himself. Nothing was amusing about Callem’s love of obstacle courses.

“The structure that is the nose will be the dining hall and theater for assemblies and entertainment. That was one thing that always bugged me about the Naval Academy in Skyhold. Most of the cadets couldn’t afford to go into the city and enjoy the offerings,” Callem said seriously.

“I am sure Hen’s Hollow will welcome your cadets, but I am also fine with the expense,” I said, having Callem look relieved and Wynna smiling. I didn’t have the heart to refuse any of his requests, but he didn’t need to know that.

“What are these buildings?” Aelyn said, pointing to an array of buildings that outlined the head of the cat and its ears.

“These twenty-three satellite buildings serve as dormitories. This one is designated for instructors, this one is for maintenance staff, while the remaining twenty-one accommodate the cadet training squads. This arrangement will provide flexibility in adjusting enrollment each year as each dorm collaborates. I have been discussing the curriculum with some friends.” Callem then continued for the next hour, sharing his expectations and goals for training the crews of my skyships. It closely mirrored the Naval Academy format but added components like cultural training for foreign ports, laws, logistics, passenger hospitality, lowland threat assessment, and reaction. Additionally, specialty crews would trained for the skiffs for the dungeon hopper crews.

Although the hulls for both the traders and dungeon hoppers were identical, the traders would have two cheap skiffs with simple artificing, small aether crystals, and no weapons. They would be used for moving cargo and transporting passengers. The dungeon hoppers would receive extensive aerial combat training for their skiffs.

We talked the entire voyage to Llorth as Callem relayed his vision for the Merchant Marine Academy. Callem was thorough, and I had no objections to his requests. Isla had done an excellent job with the flow and aesthetic of the campus. We could immediately start sourcing the stone from the dwarven kingdom of Bherturm, where the ships were being built.

Oddly, the woodlands around Twin Rocks Lake fell under the jurisdiction of Hen’s Hollow and not Solaris City. I made a mental note to work out taxes with the magistrate and planned to pay substantially more than required. I would ensure the funds went towards additional town guards and building a road. I suspected the tiny skyship stone platform would see significantly more traffic, and the cadets would visit the town frequently.

One sticking point for Remy on the Merchant Marine Academy was that I was not going to require the cadets to sign a term of service with me, and the education would be free. The only time they would work for me was on training cruises, which were part of Callem’s curriculum as practicums.

I would supply serious incentives for the marine cadets to sign on to my traders and dungeon hoppers, like I did with my city guards under Mira. Nothing as extravagant as the Skyguard, though. On top of premium wages, one weapon with a single artificed enchantment, a feather fall ring, and a lesser aether shield ring. It would still take me about an hour of my time to outfit a single marine with those three minor artifacts, and I had to be cognizant of my time allocation and not make promises that would be stressful to fulfill. Maybe I could find someone in Llorth to do the more laborious work.

From the sky, Llorth had not changed since my first visit. The dark elf city was still prosperous and untouched by the recent conflict with the World Walkers and the mysterious organization that transported them. Although I was now suspecting the recent conflict with the Bruton orcs might somehow be tied to the World Walkers. Eliminating the efficient, ancient portal network throughout the Sphere would make it difficult for the lowlands kingdoms to help each other.

As we descended into Llorth, I had my own agenda while Callem, Wynna, and Aelyn visited the local construction guilds. I headed straight for Master Gorsch’s shop. I had been introduced to the gnome enchanter through Lorae Fadrae, and I was hoping to subcontract some of my obligations to him. The meeting was short, as I could not afford his services, and he despised doing bulk work anyway. Unfortunately, he didn’t know any enchanters in the city who would be interested in the work for what I was willing to pay.

My next stop was Tallot, a dark elf weapons dealer. Remy constantly communicated with him, and we sold my artificed weapons through his shop for a significant profit. “Master Storme!” The dark elf greeted me as I entered. Adrial and Kiara sat at the door, which caused their two customers to become uncomfortable and decide to shop elsewhere.

Tallot frowned briefly before bringing back his bright smile. I had made the man thousands of gold, and this little inconvenience was temporary. “It has been some time since you visited. Remy said you were delayed on the last order. Did you bring it yourself?” He asked hopefully.

“Just half,” I said, pulling out three long blades and six short blades from my dimensional closet. All were multi-enchanted blades. Tallot smiled and briefly inspected the blades before nodding. My work was always perfect, and if it wasn’t, my metal shaping skills could quickly correct the problem.

As he counted platinum bars, I asked, “Do you know of any weapon artificers needing work?”

“At your standard?” Tallot scoffed but rubbed his chin in thought. “A pair of brothers are trying to set up shop in Llorth.”

“Where can I find them?” I asked, taking the platinum bars and coins and storing them.

“They are ghost elves,” Tallot said with a flat tone. “Although my people do not discriminate, they have had trouble attracting customers. Their artificing skill is apprentice quality from what I hear.” I nodded, indicating he should continue. “Head to Emerald Square, they should be on one of the corners.”

I left Tallot’s and reflected on what I knew about the ghost elves. I had hired one who specialized in beast cores. They were enemies of Shifters, and their cities were in the Endless Dark. I was starting to form some suppositions as I walked across the city. I had to ask for directions twice before finding Emerald Square. There were no emeralds, but the square featured worn forest green marble with black veins for pavers.

The shop was easy to find, as one of the ghost elves stood outside. His translucent skin stretched over a muscular frame. The race looked frail, but that was far from the case. They had spiritual bonds with each other that transcended death, and most possessed powerful aether cores. I approached the shop, but Adrial and Kiara had already drawn the man's attention. Kiara had an illusion covering her white fur, so the sisters looked identical. 

I paused at the window of his shop and looked inside. The display cases contained mostly kitchen knives along with several other simple artificed objects. “Do you wish to view our work?” The elf asked, drawing my attention, with hope in his voice.

“My name is Storme Hardlight, and yes, I was interested in your work. Do you mind showing me around?” I said politely. I wasn't impressed from a distance, but I hoped I could be surprised.

The ghost elf extended his hand, “I am Nuvian. My brother Kolvar is upstairs working. What are you looking for in particular?” He eyed the cats, but didn’t say anything. I knew Bleiz was not far away as well, watching.

“I would like to browse,” I said as I followed him in. Since the shop had tight quarters, the phantom cats sat outside and flanked the door, remaining vigilant. They were an impressive sight, and sitting on their haunches, they were slightly taller than I. Although their bodies were still, their eyes followed every passerby, which caused this corner of the street to be suddenly free of traffic. Through our link, I could tell Kiara loved the passive fear and caution she inspired.

I listened to Nuvian talk about his artificed tools. They mainly made craftsman tools for artisans who had no magical abilities. I brushed my hand across hammers, chisels, knives, saws, bowls, and glassware. Everyone had a single runic pattern, mostly a durability rune, but a few had the sharpness or anti-rust rune. The silver runes were fine, tight, and obviously well-practiced, but the connector runes to the small aether stones were a bit clumsy.

“Why did you choose to settle in Llorth?” I asked as we turned down the last row of goods. There were no prices, and he hadn’t mentioned any so far, but with just silver runes, it could only be a few gold for each of these items.

Nuvian was caught off guard by the question, and it may have come across as slightly racist. “It was the largest and closest city when we reached the surface? My wife, Solana, is with child and we didn’t want to travel far.”

“Is she an artificer as well?” I asked curiously.

“No, her talents lie with weaving spider silk into thread, but it has been a difficult pregnancy,” Nuvian stated. I sensed he was looking for sympathy to perhaps purchase some of his goods.

I picked up a long chef’s knife with a sharpness rune and drew it, “How much?” He knew I was wealthy since I had two phantom cats, so this was more of a test.

“Five gold. Four large silver if you want the sheath,” he said quickly. I nodded very slowly. Something of this quality in Skyholme would be slightly less. The sheath was overpriced, but the beast from which the leather came may be unique. However, he hadn’t convinced me on that point.

“Just the blade,” I handed him the gold. “Why did you leave the Endless Dark?”

He suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Our grandfather told us too. He was certain something was coming. He has never been wrong before.”

“Why didn’t he join you?” I asked, intrigued as he confirmed my suspicion.

“He would never leave our grandmother, and she would never leave the city of Enrensari,” he said sadly.

I nodded in understanding. “Can you and your brother work with mithril?” I asked straightforwardly.

“We have worked with platinum but never mithril. I don’t think our stylus can manipulate the mithril. There are better artificers in the city if you are looking for something particular,” Nuvian said helpfully.

“Do you have any spells for your artificing?” I asked, not deterred.

“We both just have the tier one spell soften metal. It helps with our stylus, but it cannot affect mithril,” he revealed and looked away, seemingly ashamed.

“I need artificers who can work mithril. I can supply you and your brother with better styluses, and you can evolve your spell in time, or I can provide you with a higher-tier version. I would need you to relocate to the Skyholme Islands. I would provide you with a residence and each of you a salary of one hundred gold a year. The small quota I expect from you would give you plenty of free time to artifice additional,” I waved my hands over their display cases, “things to sell.”

He looked extremely skeptical at my offer, as he should be. “Talk to Tallot. He recommended you and can vouch for the offer being genuine. The islands are probably the safest place in this region of the Sphere at this moment. Your grandfather is right, something is coming. You heard the destruction the World Walkers wreaked?” He nodded numbly. “I don’t know what it is, but I think that was just the beginning.”

Ghost elf brothers were at the level of apprentice artificers, skilled in a few runes, and they had difficulty with the complexity of connecting multiple runes. They faced the torturous task of writing runes with a stylus, which allowed no mistakes. I figured they could create simple weapons for the marines, and I could sell the surplus for a profit. I was taking the risk that they would be able to work with mithril. Anything artificed with silver or platinum was temporary. 

He called down his brother, and we spent some time renegotiating terms. The final terms were that I would get thirty hours a week of work from both of them, and they could leave the contract at any time. They were going to be set up outside of Hen’s Hollow because they valued privacy. After they talked with Tallot, if all three agreed, they would find the Maelstrom at the docks. I had made it through the entire encounter without ever revealing my own skill, which I thought was amusing.

Back on the Maelstrom, I had to wait for Callem, Wynna, and Aelyn to return. They had entered negotiations with the stone mages guild, the Quartz Creators. Negotiations would take a few days to set up a long-term contract. They were not going to permanently relocate to Skyholme but would take yearly contracts.

When the three ghost elves arrived in the evening, I felt slightly self-satisfied, as I revealed that I had recruited some artificers. Solana was definitely pregnant, and the elves were tentative at first, but Aelyn and Wynna quickly made them feel welcome.

Two days later, we left Lorth with five dark elf stone mages and the three ghost elf artificers.

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