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A Soldier's Life - 275 - Final Preparations (final edit 6-13-25)
🕑 Added 2024-10-09 23:01:32 +0000 UTCChapter 275: Final Preparations
With her new bronze adventurer’s medallion in hand, Raelia offered to buy everyone an ale with an impish smile. “All the ale you can drink, on me,” she said, placing a worn gold piece on the table.
I took her to the side for a moment to remind her not to tell them that she had been in the Shimmering Labyrinth with Maveith and me. “It is fine you are trying to ingratiate yourself to my companions, but you cannot tell them you fought with us in the Labyrinth. At least not for a time.”
She gave me a look like I was an idiot, but to my annoyance didn’t affirm she wouldn’t reveal it. Raelia grinned, “You mean our companions. Now I have to go and get to know them a little better.” I had a round with everyone and tried to relax, half-listening to the conversations as Raelia, Blaze, Benito, Maveith, and Mateo spilled their life stories. Suddenly, Raelia drained her mug and said she needed to return to care for Baldo.
She was slightly unsteady on her feet, and watching her leave, I noted she did not have an escort. I assumed she had snuck out to join the guild. I just hoped we would not be chased down by an irate regent claiming we were abducting her ward. I excused myself as I had some nighttime duties of my own to attend to.
I relaxed in my room, taking brief trips into the dreamscape to train with my companions. I was working on identifying their weaknesses to help eliminate them the next time we practiced. The manifestations of Konstantin and Xavier were a great help in offering advice, and I found I missed Konstantin’s constant beratement.
At well past midnight, I slipped out the window. I moved to the stables behind the hall and found my mounts had been delivered. I checked them thoroughly and, happy, gave them a late-night snack. After confirming no one was around with an earth pulse, I placed Ginger in an empty stall. She immediately panicked at the sudden change in her environment.
Holding her reins tight, I rubbed her neck. “Ginger, it’s me. Calm down, and I will give you an apple.” She calmed quickly, but the damage was done.
Her angst stirred up the other horses, and soon, the elf stable hand appeared, bleary-eyed. He looked at me with a questioning expression. “I just brought my mount in to stay with the others that were delivered,” I informed him as I rubbed Ginger’s neck and fed her another apple with my other hand. He looked skeptical but was apparently too tired to argue and left. I settled Ginger in over the next hour, constantly talking to her soothingly. I wish I had done this a few more times to help her acclimate to being moved in and out of my dimensional space.
After Ginger was comfortable, I snuck back into my room. I was immediately on alert climbing through the window. The building was mostly stone, so my earth pulse told me someone was in the hallway, clearly waiting outside my door. It was not one of my companions, as they were all accounted for. The person seemed to be waiting for me and knocked as I stepped into the center of the room. I calmed myself and opened the door.
Guildmaster Jhaartael was standing there, clearly unhappy. His voice was gruff and abrasive. “Regent Maeralya told me to apologize to you. I would have waited till morning, but apparently, you were sneaking around the stables and busy climbing through your window, so I knew you were awake.” He looked smug, having revealed he had been watching me.
Being in the presence of powerful mages, I could sense this man had depths of power. Had he been spying on me, but did he see me release Ginger? No, otherwise he wouldn’t be so calm and smug. “I was checking on my horses. I wanted to make sure they were delivered safely.”
He narrowed his eyes and grunted. By his light reaction, I was positive he had not seen me remove Ginger. He continued with a slight warning in his voice. “I am told you took a posting with Rolf Sheadings. I will be watching it to make sure it is completed and that he makes it safely to Khoura.”
He stared at me for a heartbeat before he turned on his heel and marched down the hallway. He clearly still did not like me or trust me, even with the endorsement of a regent. Good thing I would not be in his city much longer. Maybe the regent would reconsider her goodwill towards me when Raelia disappeared. No, that would create too many problems. If Raelia wanted to travel with us, her aunt would need to be told.
I didn’t sleep that night, sending out frequent pulses to check on the others in my mild paranoia. There was also some interesting and exciting action going on in other rooms in the Guild Hall. After over forty pulses, I suddenly stopped as someone was wandering the halls, and I think he was trying to find the origin of the pulses. It was the first time anyone had been able to sense the earth speak pulses.
I was the first one in the common room in the morning. I had to order food for everyone from across the street as the kitchens in the Adventurer’s Hall were only open for lunch and dinner. I got an impressive spread for everyone, and Benito was the first to arrive. His eyes were a little bloodshot and vacant, but that didn’t slow his consumption of the offerings on the table. The short man’s stomach seemed bottomless.
Mateo arrived with Maveith, and Blaze was last. As everyone was eating, I talked. “Your horses are in the stables. Take them out for some exercise, break in your bodies, and familiarize yourself with them. Teach Maveith how to ride, and tonight, we practice in the yard out back. We leave in two days as an escort for a dwarven merchant to Khoura, a southern city in the Caliphate.”
“Will Raelia be joining us for practice?” Mateo asked too eagerly.
A little annoyed, I answered him. “Maybe. I don’t know. It wasn’t my turn to keep track of the elf.” Blaze arched his eyebrow in amusement. Was he seeing something I wasn’t?
“What are you going to be doing today?” Blaze asked as he slowly stacked his plate.
“Doing leader things. I am going to interview the two orc adventurers and see if they are a fit for us,” I replied.
Mateo talked with his mouth full. “If we need another, Enyara is still available. She has reasonable rates, and I think she already has a horse.”
“With Raelia, we don’t need another scout,” I said tiredly. “Or another elf,” I muttered to myself. After last night’s visit from the guildmater, I now assumed Enyara was working for him to keep an eye on us. Her group had seated themselves next to us in the common room and listened to or conversation, but maybe I was too paranoid.
I left the group to finish breakfast and headed to the port district. The first orc was named Glamrar Understone. He lived by the docks because most of his jobs were on ships. I was fortunate that he was not currently at sea. His residence was in an apartment building that overlooked the harbor. Knocking, it didn’t take long for a scantily clad elf woman to open the door. Her angular features showed amusement at my shock. “Looking for Glamrar?” She asked, grinning. I nodded like an idiot because her night shift was translucent, leaving little to the imagination.
She opened the door to let me in, exposing me to a musky scent and cooking bacon. Deep in the apartment, a large, bare-chested orc was cooking breakfast. He was not tattooed but was almost seven feet tall and thickly muscled. After explaining the mission to the brutish-looking orc, he shook his head. “No. My wife would kill me if I returned to the Caliphate for any reason.”
“Yes, I would!” The elf woman yelled from the bedroom with levity.
He pointed his cooking spatula at me, “Yes, I married an elf. Do you have a problem with it?”
“No. Sorry for interrupting your morning.” He nodded good-naturedly, and I retreated out of the apartment. Why was it so hard to find an orc for my party?
According to the elf clerk at the guild, the only other candidate in Artiria was a healing mage. The healer, Tarek Blackjaw, was easy to find and was a dedicated delver. There were only three dungeons in Esenhem, but he was determined to complete all of them and was not interested in returning to the Caliphate until he did.
He explained his reasoning: “I seek to one day be named a warlord of the Caliphate. Though my skills could have me named a cleric, my blood runs hot for combat. When I am truly confident in my delving, I will return and claim the mantle of a warlord.”
He was surprisingly amiable considering the other orcs I met, and I found myself engrossed in a lengthy conversation with Tarek as he meticulously divulged details about the dungeons within the Caliphate. My time with him offered a rare glimpse into their culture, but it eventually proved to be a fruitless pursuit in recruiting him. I wondered if my search would yield better results in the Caliphate or if it was a fruitless endeavor.
I returned to the Hall to find a groaning Maveith laid out on the common room floor. The others sat a bit uncomfortably around a table. I took a seat next to Blaze. “Any fortune in your search?” he asked as he shifted uneasily in his seat, also showing some soreness from riding again.
“None. It appears all the orcs that have left the Caliphate do not wish to return.” I indicated to Maveith, “Riding lessons?”
Blaze nodded, “We did twenty miles. You selected fine mounts for us, and they like to run. Maveith lost his saddle four times and has yet to find the rhythm. He is constantly trying to force his will upon the large black.” A small smirk appeared on his lips, “I see you found a mount with the same colorings as your first.”
“No, it is Ginger,” I stopped talking as I saw Blaze was not being serious. “Any sign of Raelia?” I asked half-heartedly.
“No, she has not shown herself,” Blaze replied. “Are we going to train in the yard?” I could tell Blaze was hoping I would say no. After so long out of the saddle, a twenty-mile ride had to be difficult on all of them.
“Just two hours,” I announced loud enough for everyone to hear. Benito groaned the loudest.
Mateo made to stand but stumbled as he got to his feet. “I miss Adrian,” he muttered at my lack of sympathy for their injuries.
Blaze had my back, “Adrian would have you practicing for two hours before turning you over to Delmar to dig defenses for the camp. Eryk has been paying your way since we left and got you a fine mount.” I gave Blaze a slight nod of thanks.
In my mollifying command voice, I addressed the group. “We need to work on our communication; being such a small band, teamwork is paramount in a fight. Blaze, you are going to have to put down your bow for a while and swing your sword.” Blaze joined the others in a mock groan at my betrayal after he supported me.
During the extended session, I served more as an instructor. I was using what I learned in the dreamscape to ferret out their weaknesses and help them improve.
Our tactics were simple. Maveith, for all his size and strength, would still best serve as a ranged threat with Blaze. Mateo and I would serve as our front line, with the speedy Benito filling in on the flanks as needed. Maveith, with his runic hammer, could always come from the back in support.
We worked up a good lather and drew more than a few eyes for our training intensity. I think Mateo was working twice as hard because Enyara was one of the spectators. When I called an end to the practice, we sat on benches drinking from our canteens.
Enyara approached to stand over our group. “You fight well for Telhians. Are you any good with that? Care for a wager?” She was indicating Blaze’s bow and arrows. Blaze looked at me for approval to accpet. I knew what this was. She was trying to show her aptitude with the bow to impress me. She was trying to worm her way into the group. It made me even more suspicious that the Guildmaster was involved.
“Show her how to shoot, Blaze.” I tossed an apple to Blaze, who deftly caught it. He nodded and took a bite, masking his discomfort as he stood. After swinging a sword and holding a shield for the last two hours, he was at a significant disadvantage in the contest.
The contest drew considerable attention from the elven adventurers, and bets were being placed. Benito fought past his soreness to be part of the betting action. He sought Maveith to back his wagers as he had almost no coin. He should have evaluated Blaze more closely before placing his bets on him, as Blaze had difficulty stringing his bow.
Blaze placed his apple core at the furthest distance the training yard allowed, fifty paces. He raised his bow, aimed, and lowered it three times before releasing it. He was trying to find that feeling he told me about—maybe some type of clairvoyance spell form. The arrow crossed the distance, knocking off the apple core sitting atop the archery target. He got appreciative nods from the spectators and a uncomfortable fist pump from Benito.
Enyara frowned slightly, not expecting Blaze’s success or maybe the small target. She walked to the apple core, which had been split in two. “What’s going on?” A familiar voice to my side asked. I hadn’t noticed when Raelia had arrived.
“A contest of archery skill,” I replied without looking at her. “Did you receive permission from your aunt to join us?”
Raelia was suspiciously quiet as we watched Enyara stick the halves together and set the apple core atop the target again. As she walked back the distance, Raelia spoke, “I got a horse and a special saddle for Baldo and me.”
“That is not what I asked,” I said, finally looking over at her. She was dressed in adventurer clothes and leather, wearing the ranger’s cloak from the dungeon. It looked like a normal cloak, but I knew better. With it, she would be an excellent scout for us.
“She can’t stop me. I am an adult,” her petulant tone almost made me laugh. Realizing how she sounded, she spoke more confidently. “Yes, she is aware I plan to leave her household.”
“Will it cause me trouble?” I asked seriously as Enyara took aim. She didn’t take nearly as long as Blaze before she released her arrow. Her arrow thudded into the target, an inch below the apple core. The impact was enough to knock the apple core off. A groan of dismay and despair echoed through the elves. Benito cheered madly as he tried to figure out who owed him coin.
“No, Regent Maeralya will not interfere.” After a pause, she added, “She is not happy with me, though. And I expect she will be informing my parents and brothers back in Bartiradia that I am running off with some Telhians.”
Raelia’s brother was a general in their army. I almost thought to ask if he was still alive, but instead, I accepted her word that we would be unmolested when we left. “We leave the morning after next. Be outside the Hall an hour before sunrise. Where is Baldo now?” I asked.
“In my room upstairs,” she informed me with relief. She must have thought her position with us was not guaranteed. I just assumed she was not going to take no for an answer. Personally, I was a little surprised at how quickly the elf woman was joining us, and she didn’t seem nervous at all to be adventuring with ex-legionnaires. She was placing a tremendous amount of trust in us.
I grunted because that seemed the thing Konstantin would do at this moment. “We are going for a ride in the morning. You can join us.” Raelia let loose a satisfied smile that made her look beautiful in the evening light.
Maveith, who had been listening from a bench nearby, groaned. Enyara was receiving some ribbing from the adventurers as they broke up to go and get an evening meal. I caught her looking at Blaze with a respectful and perhaps covetousness stare. She clearly had not thought she would lose to him. Benito was giving Blaze a share of the silver he had collected from the elves.
I arranged for a meal for everyone before checking on the horses. Ginger was upset with me for some reason, and I think it was because we had not gone for a ride with the others this morning. It was easy to find Raelia’s horse by the unique saddle hanging outside the stall. It was long and looked like there was a special pillion seat behind it for Baldo. It was more of a basket than a seat. Raelia weighed maybe a hundred pounds, and Baldo fifty, so her gray mount would be carrying less weight than Ginger. There were grips inside the griffin’s basket for Blado to hold onto if Raelia broke into a gallop.
I handed out half-apples before returning to eat with the others. Raelia was eating contentedly with the others, already feeling like she was accepted into the fold. They were all laughing at something Benito was saying. Looking around the room, it looked like we were more accepted here today than yesterday, our Telhian stigma fading some. After enjoying a meal of baked chicken and roasted veggies, everyone retired early to rest their abused bodies. I lamented not being able to convince the orc healer to join us.
I was up first in the morning, Ginger was saddled and eager for the ride. The others wandered into the stables one by one. Maveith was a bit gimpy as he walked to his black stallion. I was proud the goliath had not utilized a potion to wash away his injuries. Raelia arrived last, Baldo in tow. The dog-sized griffin looked around curiously as he stayed glued to Raelia’s side.
When we all mounted, we walked our horses out of the city. Baldo was sitting regally in his little nest in the saddle. “Don’t griffins eat horses?” Mateo asked.
I nodded, “It is their favorite type of meat.” I patted Ginger’s neck, “Don’t worry, girl. I won’t let the big bad Baldo eat you.”
Raelia defended her griffin, “Baldo is smart and listens to commands. He will only eat horses if I allow him to.” Baldo hissed and chirped on hearing his name. I decided, as a leader, I wouldn’t tease Raelia or Baldo. How long I kept that promise to myself remained to be seen.
Outside the city, we just rode together, never breaking into a trot even though I sensed Ginger’s eagerness to do so. Ginger was also setting the pecking order among the horses, even bossing Maveith’s massive black mount with a nip when Maveith started to have trouble controlling him.
As we rode, we discussed how we would protect the three wagons, who would be positioned where, and how we would engage a threat. It was more of an open discussion than me dictating tactics. I made it clear that Blaze was second in command after me.
We returned after midday and rubbed down the mounts. Baldo took to hunting rats in the hay, even catching one to Raelia’s delight and praise. I think Raelia was meshing well with the others. Mateo certainly enjoyed talking with her, although he was doing most of the talking.
Although the merchant was providing food and feed, I sent Mateo and Blaze to obtain additional supplies for the horses. Everyone was expecting another training session tonight, but I let them off to their relief, but told them to be ready two hours before sunrise to meet the merchant. It was time to make our way toward the Boutan Caliphate.
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Comments
Kevin O'Malley
Tyftc
Rich Larson
"approval to accpet." Should be accept.
Erick Thiemke
thanks - fixed on the master and there was a seoncd occurance as well that was fixed
Booleans
"griffin’s basket for Blado" Typo for "Baldo".
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Erick Thiemke
edited
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Adamant
I know I’m late joining this but just bought my membership and am catching up. All that to say that I think it’s hilarious Konstantin’s leadership style of grunting seems to be what Erik is emulating, even if subconsciously.
J. L. Mullins
... Why has he stopped asking about healing potions since he left the empire? He was hunting them up trying everything he could to get more of them, and now he's out of the empire interacting with adventurer guilds that should have them available, he doesn't ask after them anymore. It's a bit crazy making. 😋
Andrew Crews
I took a seat next to Blaze. “Any fortune?” He (→ he) asked as he shifted in his uneasily (→ uneasily in his) seat. I took a seat next to Blaze. ‘Any fortune?’ he asked as he shifted uneasily in his seat.
Anel Alic
He had the other horses when he was a hound
SHANE SMITH
Was his horse always named Ginger? I thought she was named something else.
Jordan
Ginger was also setting the pecking order among the horses, even bossing Maveith’s massive black mount. …even bossing ‘around’ Maveith’s massive…
hrs
i cant remember the details from earlier chapters but he can always study generic info about displacement spellforms if he hasnt picked one already. also the occasional mention that he studies magic or combat skills in general in his amulet prevents the character from feeling broken, skill progression-wise
hrs
ehhhh thats a seems like a stretch as far as story mechanics go. the guild master can be an asshole indefinitely / as needed for the plot. the elf scout just trying to join the group is enough to get the point across without wasting more time by actually having her join the group.
Jordan
I 100% agree that Eryk using his dimensional space to kill is OP. However, it has some limitations. It bottoms him out and doesn’t work if his opponent has a protection amulet (I don’t remember the specific name of them. Sorry) and still bottoms him out. Still very OP no doubt about it. I just hope that new tactics/abilities don’t get added that make Eryk that much more OP too quickly or else there isn’t any real struggle left in the action within the story.
Alex
The dimensional - one kill is still op. When you are fighting 2-3-5 high threat enemies it becomes a two option outcome : 1 you are dead and book is over 2 You live and it is either your swordsmanship is OP or your magic is OP. Or a combo of both. OR you run away and you escape skill is OP ( overpowering perception of all of your high grade enemies)
Jordan
Interesting tactics and I agree it’s possible for him to do this with what we know now. I hope this tactic doesn’t make it into the book as the challenge in 99% of all melee combat goes away. Very OP
Erick Thiemke
Im cutting the studying of the displacement spell form from this chapter. He was going to use it to escape with Maveith's sister at the end of the chapter but. am going in a different direction to resolve that
Erick Thiemke
corrected
Deliver roo
He could transfer half of the weapon at the right time and the enemy would die in a few exchanges anyway, without the need to bottom out his aether. It does seem like, thanks to his space magic, he has got complete control over his surroundings and, in an arms contest, is invincible in close quarters. To be honest I always expected him to start encountering groups of enemy magicians to face a new challenge and improve his magic related abilities.
Jordan
The arrow crossed the distance the third time, knocking the apple sitting atop the archery target off. Apple -> Apple core
Jordan
“He got appreciative nods from the spectators and a weird first pump from Benito.” First -> Fist ?
Silver Beard
Missing a big one here. The Elf Archer was trying to ingratiate herself and fails to make it. The GuildMaster makes a personal visit to say if this gig doesn't go flawlessly- Eryk's screwed. Raelia's Aunt disapproves of her choice to join the company. That's a recipe for intrigue and sabotage. The Dwarf doesn't even have to die... just get badly wounded under Eryk's protection detail and the GM can write them off and he can use his position to shield his agent...the Archer from retaliation. Bandits are supposed to be non-existent, but it's still possible. If the Elf tracker is legitimately good... she could easily direct some beasts their way and then add to the chaos.
Deliver roo
I confirm I’m confused. I remembered him not even being in the seventies for displacement, waiting to choose the best spellforms he could. All of a sudden Eryk is already studing a new one and it’s something he already had at his disposal in the book he got.
Silver Beard
Eryk might have a tent, but what of the others? Hopefully Raelia packed one herself.
Salvo
Raelia’s poor horse, you know Baldo is gonna upgrade at some point… then the horse is useful one last time..🥺🍽️
Salvo
What about cutting a hole in shield or a spear? I thought the coolest move would be trip a guy, square cut the ground where his feet just left, which they then fall and drop the square on top of them. Grave-plot no jutsu.
saber
He has poor aether how will this work?
Erick Thiemke
I think he originally started studying the dimension door spell form…my memory is not great that many chapters back and I have notes on it. But the plot had a plan to use it eventually. I want to say he spent some time on the ship as well reviewing a displacement spell form in the writing but I didn’t mention which one there
Erick Thiemke
As long as he feeds aether into it, it would stay open. But the aether cost is dependent on distance
Kbzzy
Can you move lots of people through dimensional door or does it break after Eryk uses it
Otto Kovar
I think this being a novel that has yet to keep any expierence that eryk had on desia from the reader, it seems wierd to exlude something so trivial. If the mystery was something like a plan and we would discover the plan as we went, sure keep secret and we will see when it happens, but his choices in spell forms, seems so basic that it just feels weird not knowing. The way it is handeled, i think confused me and other readers, going back and checking whether we had forgotten it ever being mentioned. Id say mention it or rewrite the passage to let the reader know they only get the info once Eryk has learned it or needs to use it. Like: After much deliberation I had decided on a displacment spell form and I used the time to start studying it.
Erick Thiemke
Yes, a quick, safe, one shot transport if he has enough aether to cover the distance
Ivan Kanewske
Can he use that out of a dungeon? That's basically an escape set up right?
Erick Thiemke
But spoiler…he is studying dimensional door. Anchor point somewhere and then use an archway to connect the two points. Aether holds the doorway open and you can pass through further the distance the more aether required. After you pass through, anchor point is destroyed and needs to be reset.
Erick Thiemke
It was never stated which one he was working on. No he doesn’t have the aether for it….yet
Ivan Kanewske
Also he shouldn't have enough mana at this time for any displacement spell in the 80s right?
Ivan Kanewske
When did I miss which displacement spell form Eryk is working on
Alex
Good explanation. TY
Erick Thiemke
He can only a block shape. He was probably avoiding so in order to keep his secrets. If he tried to get a complete weapon, then he would get the hand of the wielder as well, triggering the bottoming out of his aether
Bananaboat
If you're reading this on a computer you can increase the zoom on the tab. If you're reading it on mobile you should be able to zoom with your fingers. I usually read on computer and the zoom set to 200% myself.
Erick Thiemke
Fortuna is the god of luck so I thought it fit well
Erick Thiemke
It’s fixed by Patreon. Change your viewing preferences
Shane clark
On a side note, any chance of making the font a little bigger? I have to send it as a file to a reader app and sometimes it takes a while to transfer. Sorry I’m not to tech savvy…
Alex
Stealing a sword when his enemy blocks is pretty much a win. And way cheaper then teleporting their head in his dimensional space
Silver Beard
robbing someone of a weapon doesn't necessarily neutralize them as an opponent. Considering Eryk's tiny aether pool he has to be strategic in how he uses it.
Alex
Yup doing that will make Erik be a supplier for Igniz
Eriach
A good way to make money for the blacksmith, melt down the arms and armor as needed for metal for work with
Ford Engstrom
Just caught up from just starting the other day, still tough getting to the end of a new chapter and remembering at the end that I have to be patient now
PatronTurtle
Might be a good idea to send a note to her aunt, just in case. Better to hedge bets now than have to deal with a potential kidnapping charge if R wasn't telling the whole truth
Jordan
I sat next to Blaze. “Any fortune?” Fortune sounds really weird. I know it’s another world which is why you’re using it (my guess anyway), but luck sounds much better to a reader.
Jordan
Take them out to break into your bodies and familiarize yourself with them. Into -> in
Daniel kanevsky
Thanks for the chapter!
Alex
Quick Q :Why can't Eryk put his enemies weapons in his dimensional space? this should be possible without using all of his aether. It is almost guaranteed win/kill for him and his dimensional ability becomes helpful against not one but few enemies ( depending on the final aether cost of "stealing" individual items like sword/shield/armor pieces). Even if he has to touch items every time someone nicks him they will get their weapon "absorbed" by Eryk.
Andrew
Thank you!
Aaron Weingrad
Tftc
Erick Thiemke
4th of 4. Next is a World Sphere chapter and then the next Soldier right after
