Empire Of Souls - Chapter 180

As the sun began to crest over the horizon, a group of what appeared to be adventurers stood, before the grand construction taking place at the entrance to a valley of wondrous beauty and a mysterious air.

“Have we finally arrived?”

“Looks like it, but I wasn’t expecting this. Are they building a wall? To cover the entrance of this entire valley?”

“That’s what it looks like.”

Although the sky was beginning to darken and the light of the sun would soon disappear, a stream of people was heading into the valley. There were also numerous laborers and servants wandering back and forth carrying out their work. Normally, working like this with so little daylight would be difficult. However, the area near the construction was lit up almost as if it were day. This was certainly a strange sight, but one could easily see the residue or aura of magic.

One of the adventurers, who appeared to be a middle aged mage wearing exquisite garments, clicked his tongue, “What an extravagant waste of magic!”

“Using magic casters as common labor? How impressive.” replied a young woman with sarcasm.

She was equipped with light armor that appeared to have a metallic sheen to it. There was a short sword sheathed at her side. She was lithe and her muscles well toned. Clearly she was an experienced adventurer which could be seen by the way she carried herself and also by how well equipped she was. Her armor had a slight magic glow which was occasionally visible. Her stance and graceful movements revealed no openings and even when she appeared to be focused in one place, she missed nothing. If anyone wished to sneak attack her, they would have to be extremely skilled and proficient at it.

“You can’t deny the magnitude of this construction though. Once it is done, it will be quite impressive. It appears that there will be a stronghold built here. Once it is done, it will truly be a formidable fortress. I am surprised by the speed of construction. It hasn’t been too long since this new Demigod came to power. Be careful what you say, regardless of what you are thinking. We are no longer in the Republic.” Said another middle aged man who had the appearance of a grizzled veteran with a certain ferocity to his facial features.

He seemed to be the leader of this group of adventurers and spoke with a certain confidence that brooked no disobedience. This was not a weak group, with the weakest being low Advanced class and their leader being Master class. For a group of adventurers, this was quite the powerful group. There were some who were Legendary beings among adventurers, but usually when one became Legendary, they were either beholden to a nation or to a church.

It was difficult to rise beyond Master class without strong ties to one or the other. It wasn’t as if the gods wished to waste their Divine Power on one who wasn’t useful to them. There were other ways to rise, but the chances were so low that the number of Legendary beings who were independent was very small. Of course, among billions, there were a number of Legendary beings who were independent, but it paled in comparison to the number who served a nation or a church. However, even those that served nations were in some way connected to a god or gods. There were always patrons in the dark. If not gods, then demons or devils or something else.

This was why Aleks was always so disgusted when around any not associated with him. They were all tainted by the stink of some higher being.

“There are a lot of opportunity seekers coming here. Was this the right move for us? I’m not doubting your judgement, just curious.”

The leader of the group eyed the large man who asked. He wore a simple vest which didn’t do much to hide his extremely large and muscular body. There was an enormous axe on his back. He was a berserker and a master of the axe, a very powerful individual. Although he was large and may come off as nothing more than a brute, he was actually quite intelligent. He had a calm demeanor, although one might be quick to judge him due to his size and his ferocity in battle.

“Remember why we are here, don’t think about useless things.”

“Right, but what are we investigating exactly? I am not fully clear on our objectives here.”

“This Demigod has some pretty grand aspirations. We need to investigate this new organization he is creating and see if it is a threat to the adventurer’s guild. You should be aware that there is a branch of the adventurer’s guild in every nation on the continent, except for in the extremely wild places of course. Supposedly, this Demigod is a Human and it appears he is attempting to establish a proper nation even if it is filled with barbarians and savages. It is only natural that he allow the adventurer’s guild to have a presence here, but it seems he is developing his own organization. This is troublesome to the higher ups. They tolerate some of the other smaller organizations and there are some rogue groups here and there, but at least on the surface, the adventurer’s guild is the established organization for those of us in this profession. They won’t allow another large organization to be formed which could threaten their position. I am sure we are not the only ones coming here with an agenda. There are many with their eyes on this place, especially after the expedition failed. We already had a stake in this place. Once the expedition succeeded, we were supposed to establish a major branch here on the Steppes. It was to be a regional headquarters, but now we have nothing. A lot of money was wasted.”

The large and muscular giant-like man eyed the much smaller mage with interest, “I think this is the most I heard you speak the entire trip.”

“Who wants to talk to a brute like you?” replied the mage.

“Perhaps if you weren’t so absorbed in your magic research we could have a deep conversation. You might be surprised by what I know. You are much too reclusive even when together with us.”

“I do my job don’t I? I don’t think anything else is required and I am very busy.”

“Alright, enough. We need to be careful from here out. So no more mention of our agenda here. Let’s see what this new country is all about, and be cautious. We don’t know who else has their hands in this messy business.”

______

Not far from this group was a much larger group that appeared to be mercenaries. They had all arrived in a similar convoy which had been organized out of the city of Kordusk. Merchants of all kinds, mercenaries, adventurers, thrill seekers, and a variety of other types had all joined together in this convoy. It was difficult to travel to the Steppes, and dangerous. It was simpler to have a large group gather together in order to safely traverse the Steppes, especially when there was a large amount of cargo being transported.

This convoy had been organized in cooperation with merchants based in Kordusk and agents that Lariel had sent out. When enough money and significant opportunity was involved, it was easy to find those willing to take a risk. This was only the first convoy that was planned and if it was successful, then it would be easier to organize others.

It was all part of Aleks’s and Lariel’s plans to increase trade and acquire more skilled workers and other skilled individuals. Although Aleks had many Steppe warriors, they were still not much better than savages with little knowledge or expertise. They were great warriors, but they were not nation builders, true artisans, or an overly educated people.

What was unique about these particular mercenaries was that if one carefully observed them, they all had a strange chain with a unique design they wore on different parts of their bodies or attached to their armor or equipment. What this chain represented was a mystery, but it was definitely something which identified this particular group. Otherwise, they were varied in the equipment, armor, etc. that they possessed. They were clearly very organized, disciplined, and serious. No one had dared converse with them on the way here while traveling as part of the convoy. They had kept to themselves and seemed very capable. What was especially noteworthy was the few powerful clerics that were part of their group.

“The Savage Lands is worthy of its name, nothing but savages as far as the eye can see and wilderness. They should have been executed and this land purified, but instead it is being overrun by insects.” Said a mercenary who looked similar to a knight in heavy armor with disdain.

“Brother Herseus, you shouldn’t show such contempt. This being is unlike others. I feel a serious threat from this land and look at the construction taking place. This is being constructed too quickly and I fear that once it is done, it will be extremely formidable. If anyone wished to attack this land, I can’t imagine the cost in lives once it is done. They seem to be constructing it without rest, even through the night. Who else can accomplish such things? I think you are underestimating the threat of this place. This is not like before, when it was only Barbarians to deal with. This is already beyond my expectations and I fear what we will see once we venture further.”

A much more gentle looking young man with a somewhat holy aura reprimanded the other mercenary. His voice was calm, but his words were ones of surprise and shock. He wore white robes with intricate designs stitched in throughout.

“I think you think too highly of these savages Brother Karis. So what if they are led by a Demigod, he is nothing but a fool living on borrowed time and a thief.”

“Regardless, you should be a little more careful in your attitude and words. Even if it is as you say. Remember why we have come to this distant place.”

Herseus scoffed, “I haven’t forgotten. I will keep your words in mind. It is just that this place causes my skin to crawl and I feel antsy.”

Karis nodded and smiled, “I understand, I too feel it. This is an unholy place, but we must deal with it for now. It doesn’t matter who we fight for, we are mercenaries remember? Or at least try to act like one.”

The rest of the mercenaries were escorting carriages and managing the supplies they had brought. Since there were a number of them, there were many personal belongings, food, and equipment which needed to be transported.

“Are you certain they will hire us? It doesn’t look like they lack bodies.” asked Herseus. This wasn’t the first time he asked, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

“There will always be a use for ones such as we. Plus, we are already employed. Whatever extra we earn, consider it a bonus.” replied Karis gently.

“Bah, you know just as well we will have to give whatever we earn to the order. It isn’t like we can keep it. The only worldly possessions we are allowed are our armor and our weapons.”

Karis smiled knowingly, “Those are the tools of our trade. It is all we need in this life.”

Herseus chuckled, “That’s right. It wouldn’t hurt to enjoy a few pleasantries every once in a while though.”

Karis clasped his hands in what seemed like a prayer, “We do as our lord wills. Let us focus on the task at hand. We must discover as much as we can, our lives are at the mercy of our god. We can’t allow a heathen to flourish. The information we gather may be the deciding factor in the heathen’s downfall.”

_______

Aleksandros opened his eyes. They were glowing with a dim light. There was neither a smile or a frown on his face, there was no expression at all. It was bland and emotionless. He waved his hand slowly and a servant quickly arrived at his side with shuffling feet and no hesitation.

“Send someone to welcome our new guests. We must make sure their stay here is satisfactory. We wouldn’t wish to be criticized for our lack of hospitality, now would we?”

“Yes master.”

The servant quickly left to carry out his order.

“So many walk to their deaths of their own choosing. The hubris of man is an ubiquitous thing. Well, at least they will be of some use. Let us play with them for a little while. Perhaps we can bait some of the fish lurking in the deepest parts of these murky waters.”