Dimension System - Chapter 93

 

According to Xander, the small city we’d be visiting was called Hearthfire. Nestled deep in the outskirts of the northern continent, it was a small city known for it’s clay products. According to the information that we’d received a dozen hoodlums smashed up a store that was paying a sizable protection fee.

 

Since this was my first trip that far north, I made some brief alterations to my wardrobe. It didn’t take much to conjure up a thick double-layered jacket which would help keep me warm. I was even able to approximate a hood with a pull-string into the design. Between that and secondary layer of inner thermal clothing, I felt that I was good to go.

 

When I met back up with Xander he commented on my jacket.

 

“Now that looks like a warm coat. Ya got any extras? I could use an upgrade.”

 

Having anticipated something similar I’d already made a few extras. While we made our way over to the reception area I tossed him a jacket that was around his size. If he wanted it fitted, he’d have to give me his measurements. He tried on the jacket right away, while we waited for Tony to setup a portal to our destination.

 

“Ohhh.. that’s nice! The interior is so smooth and comfortable. This is gonna make the northern missions a lot more bearable!”

 

After a few minutes, Tony had setup the transportation portal. He handled the procedure with a deft swiftness, as if he’d done it countless times before. A shimmering blue portal was ready for our departure. There were even a few snowflakes that occasionally flew through, signifying the cold weather that we’d find on the other side.

 

Stepping through the portal took us to a small room on the other side. The sparsely decorated room contained little more than the essentials. It was, after all, simply a way station designed to house the portal anchor for that area. Two men were playing some kind of card game, stopping for a moment to spare us a glance, before returning to what they’d been doing. One of them addressed our arrival, without missing his turn.

 

‘You guys are here to handle the protection mission?’

 

I looked over to Xander as he confirmed the reason for our journey into Hearthfire city.

 

“Yeah, why else would we come out to this backwater city?”

 

Chuckling, the two men simply waved in our direction to acknowledge us. Before we headed out, I left them two of the winterized jackets. Upon seeing such thick jackets, the two coughed up a little extra information.

 

‘The shop yer looking for is a block down, after you take a left. It’s called Grisby’s fine pottery.’

 

Stepping out into the city itself, we were immediately met with freezing winds. The city was on the smaller side and the architecture of the buildings resembled what I imagined to be a Viking style. Rows of wooden yurts had been constructed inside the city walls that looked like packed ice. Large men and woman went about their business, wrapped in several layers of clothing. I noticed that many of them had tattoos that appeared to be of Celtic design.

 

It didn’t take long for us to reach the shop. We were certain it was the correct shop, due to the smashed in windows that had been hastily boarded up. Upon entering we called out to the distraught shopkeeper, an elderly man with graying hair. His face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

 

“Welcome to Grisby’s fine pottery! You must be the spatial mages?”

 

Xander took the lead, as it was his mission.

 

“My name is Xander, this is Zanir, he’ll be observing. Tell me what happened here.”

 

As the shopkeeper replied, we walked around the store observing the damage. Almost all of the merchandise had been smashed, including the majority of the shelves and counters.

 

“Aye, it was horrible! A dozen hoodlums stormed into my store and smashed the place up. Not only did they brake my wares, they smashed up my kiln as well. I know where those bastards are staying.. You have to avenge me! I’ve always paid my protection dues.”

 

After a brief conversation, we discovered that the culprits were a nearby gang, who’d been terrorizing the city for a few weeks. Grisby told us that their hideout was on the other side of town. Apparently, they’d been operating out of an abandoned warehouse. Thanking him for the information, we assured him that we’d take care of the issue, then headed out to the warehouse.

 

It was a good thing that the city was small, as the journey only took about ten or fifteen minutes. When we arrived there were two men who appeared to be guarding the entrance. They called out to us with a warning.

 

‘Hey lads, this is private property, so state yer business!’

 

We called out to them to make sure we had the right gang.

 

“Did you guys smash up Grisby’s?”

 

Hearing our accusation, the two thugs quickly approached with intent to harm.

 

‘Yeah that was us. You nosy sots should of minded your own business!’

 

As they closed in Xander spoke a few mystical words, causing the closer thug’s belt to disappear. Subsequently, his pants fell down, resulting in the unprepared man face planting into the snow. Taking the initiative during the split-second confusion, he backhanded the other thug so hard that it actually knocked him to the ground, even causing him to spin around during his brief flight.

 

They recovered quickly from the superficial injuries, only their pride had been wounded. Scrabbling frantically, they both got up and ran inside the warehouse. Slamming the thick door shut, we could hear them taunting us, as several bolts and latches were closed to lock down their hideout.

 

‘Haha, you’ll never get through this reinforced door. Just wait ’til we get our boys. We’re gonna beat you into pulp!’

 

Laughing heartily, Xander gave a bone-chilling reply to the wannabe thugs.

 

“I’ll burn this warehouse to the fucking ground, with everyone inside!”

 

Holding my arm out, I motioned for his attention.

 

“Let me take care of this one.”

 

Utilizing my ghost dragon hand, I simply absorbed the entire warehouse door. To the surprise and horror of everyone inside, there was now a gaping hole where the door formerly stood. The commotion caused the rest of the gang to come out, resulting in several shocked looks.

 

———————-

 

We raced down the loosely packed country road at such a frenetic pace that I felt bumps and vibrations in the armored carriage for the first time. The Golden buffalo were capable of high paced sprinting for quite some time due to their endurance. Bishop Krenalis was having a blast, as he navigated the road. It seems that he really didn’t get out much.

 

Making our way out of the city and into the wilderness at such a pace prevented any trouble. Anyone who’d planned to follow and rob us would have been unable to keep up. The animals near the road scurried away whenever we whizzed by. I couldn’t hear exactly what the caravans yelled out as we past them by, though I’d assumed it wasn’t anything positive.

 

Traveling in such a fashion was entertaining but we eventually had to take a break. We chose a picturesque clearing to stop at, which was located just off the main road. Stepping out of the carriage, the acolyte guards nervously looked over at me. It took me a second to realize that they were waiting for me to get the supplies out.

 

Using my divine dragon hand, I absorbed a few of the nearby forest trees, then constructed a basic wooden cabin from the logs. It would be much nicer than camping in the rough looking tents they’d brought along. A few folding chairs constructed from metal and padded generously with fine animal leather rounded out the temporary campsite nicely, allowing the men to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 

After settling accommodations, I moved on to setting out some snacks for the group. A few platters of frozen purpleberries were accompanied by a heaping mound of freshly fried shoestring fries. After the bishop led a short prayer, the guards dug into the snacks with gusto, quickly praising the flavors and textures.

 

‘These berries are so fresh and juicy!’

 

‘You’ve gotta try these tiny crunchy things.’

 

‘They’re still warm. I can’t believe it!’

 

As we enjoyed the simple snacks together, I brought out some of the homemade gruit, making sure to reduce the alcohol content so that it wouldn’t impact the guards. They couldn’t believe that such haute cuisine was brought out casually. Any one of these items was high enough quality that it would be fit for royalty.

 

With the snacks consumed, we headed outside the cozy cabin. The guards brought some food and water over to the Golden buffalo who were recovering under the shade of some nearby trees. Seeing as we still had some free time, I constructed some reclining pool chairs so that we could lay back and watch the sunset.

 

Naturally the guards were ecstatic. Laying back on the comfortable pool chairs, we took in the warm rays of the setting sun, as the cool forest breeze washed over us. Seeing that the bishop had closed his eyes to rest, several of the guards followed suit. It was a very relaxing and calming experience.

 

Eventually, the sun set, causing the temperature to drop slightly. As we felt the shift we got up and stretched out. Having given the steeds enough time to recover, we were ready to continue our journey. I stored the entire cabin and the pool chairs away with my divine dragon hand. As we were wrapping up, the guards alerted us to a disturbance.

 

We could faintly hear a convoy of covered wagons barreling down the road. They were coming from the direction we’d been traveling. It looked like they were being chased by bandits, as I strained my eyes to look behind them, I saw two scythed chariots in pursuit. Menacing looking blades extended horizontally from the wheels, threatening to slice the wagon’s wheels.

 

“Prepare for an attack!”

 

The guard captain called out orders to his men. Within moments they’d taken up a defensive position, donning their chain-mail armor and brandishing some pretty gnarly looking iron spiked maces. Worn shields emblazoned with the church’s logo occupied their other hands.

 

Seeing the small group of armed church guards caused the merchant convoy to redirect their desperate escape directly towards us. The guards attempted to usher the bishop and myself into the armored carriage for our safety but we waved them off.

 

“I appreciate the gesture but it’s not necessary.”

 

Gesturing with my divine dragon hand, I summoned several ice ants to aid us in the upcoming combat. With any luck I’d be able to break the bandits morale and press them into service. As the covered wagons finally reached us, they navigated through a gap in the guards, quickly settling in behind the armored carriage.

 

“Praise the sun! You’ve got to help us, bandits are attacking the caravan.”

 

Bishop Krenalis quickly embedded himself among the terrified traders, doing his best to comfort them, while the few convoy guards alighted and joined the acolyte guard’s defensive position. The approaching bandits quickly caught up, though they had slowed their charge considerably due to our presence.

 

Approaching with caution, the largest among them called out to us.

 

“Looks like the traders found some friends. Seeing as you’re men of the cloth, we won’t attack if ya give us some food. Some of the men haven’t eaten for days!”

 

Stepping forward, I addressed them directly with a reply.

 

“Food can be arranged for those in need. Throw down your weapons before approaching, or we’ll consider this an assault against the church!”

 

Tossing the ball into their court, we watched as the bandits grouped up and discussed their plans. I could see that the two scythed chariots were only a forward group. The bulk of the bandits were still catching up from behind in a few bare bones wagons. Once their main force caught up, they attempted to slowly move forward together, hoping to pressure us and test our resolve. Perhaps they thought that having a numerical advantage would avail them.

 

I simply raised my arm in response. The ice ants scuttled forward and began spraying their icy breath. Both of the scythed chariots taking point were frozen solid into ice sculptures, including the bandits who happened to be riding them. After seeing what happened, the remaining bandits wisely decided to drop their weapons.

 

“Please have mercy, o holy one! We’ve been outcast from society and driven to thievery in order to survive.”

 

I chose to play along with the bandits, well aware that this was most likely a trap.

 

“I understand your plight. Let us gather together for a brief prayer. We’ll make sure that your taken care of.”

 

If only they’d understood the double meaning of the phrase. They would certainly be taken care of, in at least one sense of the word.

 

———————-

 

The various sounds of eating, drinking, and discussion filled the small fishing village. A roaring bonfire was setup in the central area, around which people of all ages enjoyed the celebration and festivities. I allowed my men to revel in their minor victory over the Black Dagger pirates.

 

All of the villagers came out to thank us. We’d not only defeated the pirates who’d been pillaging them but we also provided food and healing supplies. The village elder approached me and quietly asked me what this victory would cost them. He was hoping that they hadn’t jumped out of the pan and into the fire.

 

“Now that you’ve defeated the pirates… will you stick to the deal that we made?”

 

I brought my arm up and patted the elder on the shoulder.

 

“As long as you hold up your end of the bargain. You mentioned a nearby reef that’s rife with shipwrecks. Let’s start with that information.”

 

Sensing that he had the opportunity to assist, he called over a few of the fisherman that could provide a description of the reef. They moved quickly to retrieve their crude maps, rolling them out before me and describing the location in detail. Further up the coast was a coral reef bed that stretched out for a few miles.

 

According to the local’s description it was filled with a sturdy azure coral that blended in with the color of the ocean, making it a very deceptive and dangerous obstacle. Many ships had been dashed to pieces over the years, unable to detect the hazardous reef until it was too late. Nobody dared to scavenge the wrecked ships due to the nearby tides, lest they join them in their watery grave.

 

Intrigued by the prospect of potential treasure, I let the elder know that I’d be verifying his information.

 

“That’s a great start! I’ll be sending a scout to the location to inspect the reef. We’ll know soon enough if you’re telling me the truth.”

 

Walking over to one of the nearby piers, I used my dark dragon hand to summon Goro, my four armed mutant ghoul crab. On my orders he jumped off the pier, quickly sinking into the ocean. The large crab took off with astonishing speed, as he was perfectly suited to an underwater environment. It wouldn’t take long for him to verify the reef’s status, since the undead could maintain full speed for the entire duration of their journey.

 

Having witnessed the scene, the village elder asked me about it.

 

“What was that monstrosity?”

 

I answered his question, hoping to sate his curiosity.

 

“That was one of the many creatures I employ in servitude. An undead emerald crab that has mutated in strange and mysterious ways. He’s going to make sure your reef story checks out.”

 

Shuddering, the village elder reassured me that the information was sincere.

 

“We wouldn’t dare to deceive you, especially after all you’ve done for us!”

 

Accepting his reassurance, we returned to the feast.

 

“I know that you wouldn’t, however, trusting blindly is a foolish move. Nothing personal.”

 

Thankfully the village elder didn’t take it personally. Instead he laughed it off and lauded my wisdom. Having made our way back to the central bonfire, I clapped my hands twice and called out to everyone present.

 

“This cold sea breeze is giving me a hankerin’ to catch some fish. Who wants to join me for a little night fishing? We’ll be taking the galleon out in twenty minutes, so whoever wants to come should finish eating.”

 

Surprised by the sudden announcement several of the villagers expressed interest in joining along. The village elder cautioned us remain safe, as several strange sea creatures came out during the night, however, I assured him that it wouldn’t be an issue.

 

After the allotted time we took the galleon out into the ocean, along with several of the villagers, setting out for some deep sea fishing. The first thing that I did was dip my dark dragon hand directly into the ocean itself. If I wanted to capture some saltwater fish, I’d need a suitable environment for them to live in.

 

Absorbing vast quantities of ocean water directly into the system scared away any nearby fish, due to the noise and vibration that it caused. Once I had taken enough in, the system prompted me, indicating that proper stage was set.

 

[A large quantity of saltwater has been absorbed into the system. Ocean biome has been constructed inside spatial world.]

 

Now that I had somewhere to store them, it was time to stock my ocean with some aquatic creatures! With the system’s assistance, I was able to scan the nearby waters, allowing me to quickly pinpoint what was nearby. Taking advantage of this, we were quickly able to capture several kinds of fish.

 

[Material analyzed:

Name: Blue Marlin

Type: Fish, saltwater

Rating: Level 3

Description: A prized catch among fisherman, the blue marlin is a powerful ocean fish that uses it’s bill to stun, injure, or kill it’s prey. It has few natural predators apart from whales, sharks, and humans. The relatively high fat content of it’s meat makes it commercially valuable in many markets.]

 

[Material analyzed:

Name: Yellowfin Tuna

Type: Fish, saltwater

Rating: Level 2

Description: A large species of tuna, named for it’s bright yellow fins. It’s dark metallic blue body belies it’s explosive speed, due in large part to tuna’s warm-blooded physiology, which makes them very strong swimmers.]

 

[Material analyzed:

Name: Mahi-mahi

Type: Fish, saltwater

Rating: Level 3

Description: A surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide. They are distinguished by a dazzling array of colors, including golden sides, bright blue and green hues, and an iridescent blue pectoral fin. Their meat is often described as one of the tastiest in sea and is said to burst with flavor.]

 

[Material analyzed:

Name: Shortfin Mako

Type: Shark

Rating: Level 5

Description: The Shortfin Mako is one of the fastest known species of shark. They inhabit offshore temperate and tropical seas worldwide. It is a pelagic shark and one of the very few known endothermic sharks. Mako swim below their prey, so that they can attack by lunging vertically up and tearing off chunks of their preys’ flanks and fins.]

 

While reviewing the logs to see what fish we caught, I was shocked to find that we’d also absorbed a shark into the spatial world. Luckily, the spatial world was capable of suppressing it’s violent nature, which would prevent them from attacking anything that wasn’t it’s intended prey.

 

Satisfied with our haul for now, I ordered the crew to sail the galleon back to the fishing village, as I took in additional ocean water for good measure. The villagers were rendered speechless by my seeming preternatural fishing instincts and unorthodox fishing methods. With what was effectively fish sonar, I was able to absorb several entire schools of fish, all without the use of nets, rods, or even bait.

 

Arriving at our destination, we departed from the galleon, while the fisherman who accompanied me rushed out to spread the word about what they’d seen. The village elder looked at me with a newfound respect, due in large part to my fishing prowess. When inquiring about what we caught, I informed them that unfortunately it would take some time to breed up the fish’s numbers.

 

The villagers respect grew to even higher heights, once they learned that I possessed a fishery. After joining the ongoing feast, I learned that it was pretty much the coastal equivalent of a gold mine. Such a significant and valuable opportunity proved very tempting, as several of the younger villagers made it known that they wanted to join my crew.

 

“I wouldn’t feel right, taking away the very lifeblood of your village. Instead.. I’ll make ye an offer! How would you like to join my convoy, not as pirates but as members of me trading company? It’s a big decision, so take some time to discuss it among yourselves. We’ll be setting off to the coral reef tomorrow. After that we’ll return once more ta hear your answer.”