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A Soldier's Life - 355 - Uninvited
🕑 Added 2025-03-07 21:22:19 +0000 UTCChapter 355: Uninvited
The halfling smirked, ignored my black spear leveled at her, and hopped onto my bed. She put on her best to flash a sexy smileâbut it wasnât working for her. I was not interested in a miniature human, and she tended to rub me the wrong way. âWell, it is your fault I am here.â Her eyes switched to studying the black spear. She had probably figured out I either had a storage artifact or a dimensional space.
Heartseeker vanished. âGet out!â I growled, not caring for her explanation.
She ignored my request, leaned back against the headboard, and kept talking. âThe Sect of the Venomous Serpent was very well connected. When we attacked, there were six city guard captains and two magistrates in the Morning Sky Tower.â A little heatedly, she spat, âI lost a lot of good friends that night and have been hiding in some of the most hideous places.â
She slowly regained her affable smile, âThen I thought of youâalready leaving the city on a nice, safe ship. I could have sold the information that it was you who attacked the Serpent TowerâI did not.â
I scoffed, âAfter attacking them? Unlikely. They would have killed you, too.â I stepped aside to let her leave, âIâm not going to be responsible for hiding a stowaway.â
The halfling illusionist complained with sorrowful eyes, âBut all the nice cabins are taken. Iâm small, and you wouldnât even notice Iâm hereâunless you wanted to.â
I lost my patience, raising my tone. âOut! Go present yourself to the Prosperityâs captain. It is a long voyage, and you donât want to find yourself tied to a mast so that the gulls can eat your eyeballs.â
The door opened abruptly and Konstantin was there with his sword drawn. He looked from me to Lesna and slowly sheathed it. âEryk, what did you do?â
âHarpies tits, Konstantin. This wasnât me,â I said, exasperated. He clearly thought I smuggled her aboard. âShe invisibled herself aboard. I think if we throw her overboard, she can still swim back to shore.â Lesna crouched, putting on a defensive stance.
I focused aether to my eyes, watching her expertly manipulate it without her fingers moving. She must have incredible aether shaping skills to achieve this feat. I warned her with a casual tone, âYou make to cast any spell, and one of us will take your head before you finish.â Konstantinâs hand slipped back to his hilt in support.
The aether evaporated, and her jaw hung slightly open. âHow did you know I wasâŠâ
A barefoot sailor was walking behind Konstantin on the deck. âHey, thereâs a stowaway in my cabin!â I called out as he passed. The sun-beaten man paused to process my words. He looked into my cabin, confused, but upon seeing Lesna, his expression tightened.
âI will get the First Mate. Make sure the rat doesnât scurry away.â He jogged off. Stowaways were often called rats.
Lesna pouted, âThat wasn't very nice.â She seemed completely unconcerned when two burly sailors approached, shackled her wrists, and led her to meet the captain. I hoped I had done the right thing.
I wasnât surprised when, later in the day, Lesna was walking around on deck without any shackles. The halfling seemed like someone who could take care of herself. Gilda later learned that she had traded her skills as an illusionist for her passage. She would entertain the crew and officers during the long voyage and even received her own tiny cabinâmore like a converted closet.
She had a habit of winking at me whenever we saw each other on deck, so I started using both my earth speak and aether sight to check my cabin every time I entered. The earth speak was quite hazy, as earth essence did not conduct well through wood, but it could alert me to someone who was invisible. I wasnât sure if my aether sight night vision could pierce her invisibility, but I wasnât going to ask her to experiment.
Even with three weather mages on board, the voyage to reach the city of Yuetsen was going to be eight weeks. By the time we arrived, we would have sailed completely around the world. Konstantin was fairly certain we could use a portal to Gramney from Yuetsen. It likely wouldnât be cheap to be teleported 1,800 miles, but the only other option would be to take a ship up the coast.
A ship would make numerous stops and likely take two months or more. Even with the dangers of portaling, I was willing to pay the coin for the expedited return to my friends and deliver the essences to Castile. With neither of us needing much sleep, we traded the amulet, Konstantin taking it during the day while I took it at night. Konstantin chose to maintain a lower profile on the voyage, so we did not practice with our weapons and limited ourselves to training individually in our cabins.
I was fortunate that my cabin was located at the stern of the Prosperity. The fumes from my alchemy were drawn out the window, so I didnât aggravate the crew or other passengers. My efforts to refine an aether restorative was going far better than I could have hoped. My current process used the seeds of six golden figs, and as long as I didnât make any mistakes, the resulting brew could restore my entire aether pool, which equaled over sixty relative aether. It was an excellent amount for any mage.
I didnât think I could do much better with my current ingredients. I updated my notes and processes and planned to send them to Maveith. Maybe the Goliath Eternis Council had decided to utilize the dungeon resources. If goliath alchemists could match my most recent iteration, it could be a phenomenal export for Maveithâs people. I estimated its viability was almost six months if sealed immediately after catalyzation.
I had meals with Konstantin in his cabin, and we discussed our experiences in the dreamscape amulet. Gilda rarely joined us, and I was not quite sure where she disappeared for most of the trip. No crew members or passengers came up missing, and Konstantin was not concerned.
The only interesting encounter on the ocean voyage was a massive pod of whalesâover five hundred, but a true count was impossible. They reminded me of the right whales from Earth. While I watched them from the railing, the captain informed me that they swim in such large pods to protect themselves from the oceanâs true predators: krakens and dragon turtles.
The voyage was relatively relaxingâeven Konstantin mellowed out after a few days, ensuring that none of the crew or other passengers were more than they appeared. Still, there was relief when the crowâs nest occupant shouted, âLand fore!â Most of the passengers and crew crowded the bow to verify the sight. It was a welcome sight after 55 days of seeing nothing but water in every direction.
I noticed Lesna flitting in between the people, trying to get to the railing. The halfling adventurer illusionist looked apprehensive, and I donât think she had ever been outside of Godok before. I told myself she could take care of herself. All she needed to do was register with the local Adventurerâs Guild, and she could get by.
Our course was adjusted, and we entered a wide river hours later. We traveled in the middle of the river and could barely make out the shores. With the spyglass, I could see the shores had mangroves, palm trees, and coconut trees. A thirty-foot alligator was sunning itself on a sand bar as we passed. The first mate yelled to everyone not to attack the behemoth. It could reciprocate and damage the ship.
The weather mages were working overtime to push the Prosperity against the gentle current to expedite our arrival. After entering the basin, we still had almost forty miles to Yuetsen. We began passing by small shoreline communitiesâa blend of agricultural and fishing. Through the spyglass, the people appeared to be of Hispanic descent.
We passed large trade and naval ships infrequently, but it was clear this route was well traveled. When the city finally came into view, it was built on a small bluff overlooking the river. By their beige color, I guessed that the distant buildings were made of sandstone. It was not nearly as impressive as Godok in scope or as stunning as Telha or Artiria.
A large number of ships were moored in a massive eddy below the bluff, and that is where the Prosperity soon dropped anchor. The first mate shouted to a small gondola, and soon several barges headed from the shore to collect the passengers and cargo. Since we had purchased the luxury cabins, we were allowed on the first barge to reach the shore. The language sounded like a derivative of Spanish, but I was no linguist. There were enough Latin words mixed in that I could almost follow along. It probably helped that I was wearing the amulet of clarity at the moment, but I would switch it for the aether shield amulet after we registered in the Adventurerâs Guild Hall.
The wide steps carved into the bluff were a quick ascent. Several lifts and cranes hoisted larger loads up to the city as well. It took several steps for the solidness of the steps to feel normal under me. âWhere are we headed?â A voice from below me asked.
âLesna, you need to find your own way,â I told the halfling without looking down. She must have used her invisibility spell to sneak off the ship. I should have figured she would do that, and it would have been appropriate to accidentally knock the halfling woman into the water.
âBut you are the only brute I know in the city,â she replied, unconcerned and not leaving my hip.
Konstantin did not want to get involved, âI will walk the city and see if I can find some transportation.â He headed into the cityscape of sandstone buildings, Gilda on his heels.
âOh, what kind of transportation? I always wanted to learn to ride,â Lesna offered in good humor.
âYou should go buy a horse then. The bigger, the better,â I replied and paused at the food vendor stall. It took a little time to translate, but he was selling marinated barbecued alligator meat. I got four skewers and was glad to see that Lesna had gone. I sent out an earth pulse to confirm and sighed in pleasure. After sending so many earth pulses into wood, this one finally returned a crystal-clear image.
The entire bluff was limestone, and there was an active undercity and sewer below that. I needed to send out three more pulses to confirm Lesna had wandered away. I knew there were two local dungeons, one deep below the city and the other out on the grassy plains. I hadnât had time to enter the queue for the dungeon in Godok, so I doubted I would be exploring these dungeons either.
The Adventurerâs Hall was a squat sandstone building featuring an open-air common room. This design was due to the cityâs summer heat. To cope, an undercity had been carved into the sandstone. I secured three rooms for us and then observed the other adventurers while I waited for Konstantin. Not wanting to engage, I waved off a few adventurers who asked to join me. The language barrier was frustrating, and if they had spoken Elvish, I might have made an effort.
Konstantin arrived before Lesna and sat with me. His clothes and face were covered in dust, and I suspected he had circled the outer walls. I pushed the picture of a warm ale and a clean mug to him. He poured himself a drink and nodded contentedly. âFairly small as capitals go.â
âDoes that include the undercity?â I asked.
His mug paused to his lips, âHow big is it?â
âAbout the same as the surface, maybe not extending to the outer walls,â I replied a little haughtily. Konstantin would have slipped if he hadnât explored the undercity.
He ignored the insinuation of an insult, âStill maybe half that of Telha and about the same as Gramney. There is only one Displacement Mage in the city that takes outside contracts. I will approach him this evening.â He looked around, âWhat did you do with your little woman?â
âI told her to go buy a horse,â I said, grinning.
âBeing an ogreâs ass to a woman who has magic is never wise. There are somethings Fortuna cannot protect you fromâan irate woman is one of them,â Konstantin said in a lecturing tone.
âShe started it,â I said, sounding petulant and regretting it. Konstantin rolled his eyes in disappointment and left me after downing the rest of his mug.
I people-watched for the rest of the evening while waiting for Konstantin. The attire for the city mostly consisted of thin, loose-fitting clothing. They preferred whites and off-whites, probably because they were cooler in the sun. The adventurers seemed to prefer a curved sword, but I guessed the number of mages here was higher than normal-- at least with my aether sight, I observed several of them utilizing aether during the afternoon.
I did spend an hour talking with an elven water mage. She was recruiting a group to capture lions in the plains surrounding the city. I listened politely to her pitch and asked the appropriate questions, but I told her I planned to rest a week after the long sea voyage. When Konstantin returned, he ordered a large pitcher and food for himself before sitting with me.
âIt is done. He can do it in three teleports. I have a passage for the three of us,â he said tiredly.
âIs he a good displacement mage? How much?â I questioned.
âI took care of the payment. He is as good as they come. At least, I have been told he has been doing it for more than a decade.â I nodded at that. A bad displacement mage would not have lived that long. âGilda and I will ask around tonight to ferret out his reputation but we leave an hour after sunrise.â I toasted his success and soon retired to my room, looking forward to the reunion.
The next morning, as we left the Hall, Lesna was outside holding the reigns of a massive pony. Konstantin walked past her, and Gilda followed to let me explain to the halfling woman she was not invited.
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Comments
Hamfist
"I was fortunate that my cabin was located at the stern of the Prosperity. The fumes from my alchemy were drawn out the window, ..." How much impact do the weather mages have on the flow of air around the ship? I ask because in am IRL sailing ship the wind usually comes from behind so it can push on the sails. That is why the captain's quarters are the large cabin at the stern where he gets the freshest air. Meanwhile the "head" of the ship is up front at the bow and even today navy ships refer to toilets as "the head." So unless the weather mages are generating wind that pushes _only_ against the sails, being at the stern of the ship would mean that fumes are being blown into the rest of the ship, not away.
Igor Chmurski
"i'm not a linguist" says a Man able to speak four languages, read another in a completely diffrent alphabet and currectly learning fith
GucciG
I have a few comments to make. First off, I was excited to see the rest of the world but I feel like how it was done sucked all the enjoyment and enthusiasm from me. It didn't really feel like an adventure or journey but rather a glossed-over summary. Godock was interesting, and it would've been nice to experience its intricacies more, but I understand they're rushing back. I was left wanting more and hope to see more in the future. It made your world feel extremely small and less magical. Second, I'm not a fan of Lesna. I find her to be nothing more than a shorter Raelia, minus the occasional fiery flare. I actually wouldn't mind a halfling illusionist since that is unique, but she's essentially a carbon copy of Raelia when it comes to personality. There are a ton of readers who *still* find Raelia annoying, even if she did mellow out in the end, so I don't find it wise to introduce a second female character like that. It comes across as very one-note. I'm not sure if Lesna will actually stick around but I got that impression, hence the comment. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone meet back up. I'm curious to see what arc comes next but it could easily be Eryk settling down for a massive time skip. That, or the events of the Telhian Empire will come back to bite him, especially with that Firch dude running around. Either Castile is dead, or she's bait. At least, that's my theory at the moment.
Erick Thiemke
i might have gotten them confused - one of the nations is German and the other is Spanish derived. I think I decided after Evie's POV so that might be way there is an error
J. L. Mullins
sounded like a derivative of Spanish In the previous chapter, it was said to be a like german, and those languages do NOT sound similar... (But that might just be to my ear?) I pushed the picture of a warm ale â I pushed the PITCHER of a warm ale
Andrew Crews
She put on her [best to flash â best effort to flash] a sexy smileâbut it wasnât working for her. I was not interested in a miniature human, and she tended to rub me the wrong way. âWell, it is your fault I am here.â Her eyes switched to studying the black spear. She had probably figured out I either had a storage artifact or a dimensional space. Heartseeker vanished. âGet out!â I growled, not [caring for â interested in] her explanation. I scoffed, âAfter attacking them? Unlikely. They would have killed you, too.â I stepped aside to let her leave, â[Iâm â I am] not going to be responsible for hiding a stowaway.â Lesna pouted, â[That wasnât â That wasnât] very nice.â She seemed completely unconcerned when two burly sailors approached, shackled her wrists, and led her to meet the captain. I hoped I had done the right thing. Even with three weather mages on board, the voyage to reach the city of Yuetsen was [going to be â expected to take] eight weeks. By the time we arrived, we would have sailed completely around the world. A large number of ships were moored in a massive eddy below the bluff, and that is where the Prosperity [soon dropped â dropped anchor soon]. The first mate shouted to a small gondola, and soon several barges headed from the shore to collect the passengers and cargo. Since we had purchased the luxury cabins, we were allowed on the first barge to reach the shore. The language sounded like a derivative of Spanish, but I was no linguist. There were enough Latin words mixed in that I could almost follow along. It probably helped that I was wearing the amulet of clarity at the moment, but I would switch it for the aether shield amulet after we registered in the Adventurerâs Guild Hall. The Adventurerâs Hall was a squat sandstone building featuring an open-air common room. This design was due to the cityâs summer heat. To cope, an undercity had been carved into the sandstone. I secured three rooms for us and then observed the other adventurers while I waited for Konstantin. Not wanting to engage, I waved off a few adventurers who asked to join me. The language barrier was frustrating, and if they had spoken Elvish, I might have [made an effort â been more inclined]. âShe started it,â I said, sounding [petulant â petulantly] and regretting it. Konstantin rolled his eyes in disappointment and left me after downing the rest of his mug. The attire for the city mostly consisted of thin, loose-fitting clothing. They preferred whites and off-whites, probably because they were cooler in the sun. The adventurers seemed to prefer a curved sword, but I guessed the number of mages here was higher than [normalâ â normalâ] at least with my aether sight, I observed several of them utilizing aether during the afternoon. âIt is done. He can do it in three teleports. I have [a passage â passage] for the three of us,â he said tiredly. The next morning, as we left the Hall, Lesna was outside holding the [reigns â reins] of a massive pony. Konstantin walked past her, and Gilda followed to let me explain to the halfling woman she was not invited.
Silver Beard
I don't hate her enough to take her essence, but she did suggest she was willing to sell him out. This isn't the attitude to take home to Castille and others who are conspiring against Octavian's rule. Not that the Hounds would take her word per ce; but Castille and others are wanted fugitives. Exactly how hard would it be for her to be invisible and become a fly on the wall and listen in to their deliberations? So, as long as Lesna gets whatever she wants- it's OK to keep her around? Author- you aren't creating exciting chat- you are creating a Monster than MUST be culled permanently. I'm also mighty frustrated with Konstantin's negligence. Lesna suggested selling out all 3 of them... not just Eryk, but he's OK with that. Tempted to suggest calling that bluff. Let him go back to Castille without Eryk and explain how he hangged him out to dry for experience and Castille's cure might never arrive now.
Apophixas
Bruh, he's heading back to Castille, who has been sowing chaos in Tehlia from afar, and in less than a year Raelia is coming back with his child.
Mark Corwin
Absolutely no rest for the wicked. I don't want to send Konstantin after you.
jack axe
Look at this photograph
NovaZero
No ale for you. Only picture! đ
saber
She's got little sister energy to me I see her as a tool to make eyrk do things and get out of his comfort zone. The story will get stale unless there is some kinda chaos element to spice the story up.
Enk
Yeah there's more to the shrimp than meets they eye, could be fun :) Also, now that horse needs rescuing.
jack axe
Eryk passed a picture of ale
Karnnie
This Lesna chick is obviously pushing herself into his group but she is annoying as hell.
Karnnie
Konstantin arrived before Lesna and sat with me. I pushed the picture of a warm ale and a clean mug to him. Konstantin arrived before Gilda and sat with me. I pushed the pitcher of warm ale and a clean mug to him.
Silver Beard
Hope her Aether resistance sucks so Eryk can stash her away in his space... and then drop her out somewhere else.
Sunto
Hate her too, really hoping she doesnât bullshit guilt trip Eryk into buying her a ticket
Stephen Gauthier
Lesna is an interesting character. It adds depth to the story and perhaps at some point she will have a POV story on her which always add depth to a character.
Silver Beard
I hate her. I made my objections on discord. Then to attempt blackmail? Want to feel bad about the horse, but it's likely stolen.
Bookworm bibliophile
She is Eryks problem not mine.
Justin Barnett
Curious on everyoneâs opinion of Lesna. I find her irritating because of how obviously self interested she is and how she is trying to forcefully insert herself into the group.
Chachi
fuck it eryk impales lesna and uses the collector on her for the nice illusion essence
Andrew
Thank you!
visigoth
feel better!
saber
I like the little halfling. It's always fun to have a little chaos element to frustrate and make eryk get out of his comfort zone and take some risks.
Alias
Good chapter. All this travel is really fleshing out the world outside the Empire. Also, has Eryk perhaps found his first Aether shaping coach? Doing it without hand movements sounds advanced.
Eriach
Hope you get to feeling better
Erick Thiemke
Last nights chapter. Got a little bit of the flu but im fine. Working on the next now
