Chương 168: AF Chapter 167 – Readying the Spear

Most of the detail work that had to be addressed had already been done in the Markspace, but being seen taking care of business and giving orders was often every bit as important as the orders themselves. The soldiers wanted to see their officers doing the right things, to hear the words themselves, and to see them carried out. Even if they didn't understand the reasons behind each and every one, they wanted to feel that the orders mattered.

Already prepped by the Marked, a blizzard of orders were soon flowing out, men moving this way and that, including some converging on the Wagon and the Trailer to offload the supplies therein. Most daily supplies were hoofed over through the Big Jump, but the bigger stuff either had to be laboriously broken down into very small parts and shuffled through, or came in via the Wagon, saving a lot of time and hard work to get things up and moving.

I had my own set of people waiting for me behind Kris' subordinates, two Marked among the six, waiting patiently as I vaulted over the sides of the Wagon and landed soundlessly on the ground… or an inch above it, as Footsteps of the Mage did for me.

"Elder Cergon?" I asked without preamble, tilting my head towards an empty area where we would be out of the way of the soldiers moving in to offload the incoming supplies from the spatially-augmented Wagon and Trailer. The big lugian elder, tats of his status as a sage of his people proud upon his blocky face, bowed slightly to me.

"Magos, the Mana Draw Formation is almost complete, we're just waiting on the last of the diamond dust for the sealing elixirs." Binding the diamond dust to the Formation with acid was one of those higher Skill check things that actually lowered overall costs, while making the Formation marginally more effective. Given it was made to be able to handle a hundred people in Meditation drawing mana back in with a Gold-grade Renewal effect, a ten percent improvement could be a LOT of mana.

Even as an Iron-grade Formation, it had proven useful in the last si ege, as it meant our spellcasters could unload in series, retire to the Formation, and get their magic back faster than the enemy could.

"Excellent. Elder Crom?" The graybearded Aluvian spoke up quickly, "The mappings of the ley lines for two miles about are complete, and we've marked all the appropriate node locations. We're ready for the Outer Wall to go up. The military is ready to shut down all the Summon points at need."

"Tell them to get to it. I'll start my Stone Walk as soon as they've verified everything is cleared in the desired area, then," I told him. He bowed and immediately hurried away.

"Elder Vassan?" The tall, lean, and darkly- bearded Gharu'n bowed slightly.

"Magos, the alchemy labs are already in partial operation with basic Healing Potions that have been very well-received among the soldiers. We are upgrading the means and processes for the other types of Potions, and are designing proper assembly lines for them. Recruitment of families and clans with ancestral experience in processing of the alchemical components continues slowly."

He turned slightly to his Sho counterpart, the soft brown of desert robes contrasted to the colorful and sharp precise multiple layers favored by the Sho alchemist. Elder Gu Man's severe appearance belied his enthusiasm for his subject, "Magos, the teaching programs are in place, and the first class of apprentices should be ready to go in three weeks, with the adjutant programs graduating their first class in approximately ten days.

The students are enthusiastic and ready to do their part in support, even if they are incapable of fighting themselves." He paused significantly, and then bowed again as I came to a stop to listen.

"I have rarely had such motivated students, and for all that they came from poor backgrounds, your wisdom that they are the most driven to improve themselves is bearing fruit. This is a great thing you are doing, Lady Magos."

"It has been heartwarming to see the two of you collaborating over how to teach your students and workers, and how to teach the next generation of teachers. Knowledge is our great weapon, and it raises the floor for all," I repeated for them, and they all nodded.

"Teachers raise the floor, and Sages raise the ceiling!" they all recited promptly. I had driven the words into them repeatedly. It was THEY who educated their students to make a better world for everyone. The wealthy, the powerful, the noble and the elite raised the ceilings for themselves. Teachers drove the engine that raised the floor and lifestyle for everyone.

"Elder Tuka?" I turned to the petite green-skinned tonk, who had a fiery gaze belying her relative size.

"The ley line work of Elder Crom has guided us in the planning of the herb fields. We've already planted the first ten acres in accord with natural harmony, but they are still unprotected, and we've dared not expand further without the Outer Wall up. Elder Hukka and the fishing clans are making ready to send over some rafts and set up the first fishing posts about the piers below, and only wait our clear on security concerns."

"I will have the evacuation chambers and tunnels up by noon tomorrow. Send word that the fisherfolk can start their moves, and make sure they adhere to the layouts of the villages. None of this ramshackle squatting wherever is convenient. Reiterate that only some will be remaining here, to help feed the garrison. Our eventual goal is Mayoi and Hebian-to." All their heads bowed together.

All of them had relatives among the undead there, and the overriding goal to free them from their cursed states was one of the criteria most looked for among the first wave of returnees.

"Elder Jorgio?" His skin was blue and his hair was gray, but the only thing he held in accord with his Viamontian ancestors was his fighting spirit. He had nine family members among the undead of Hebian-to, and the War Mage ached to see them free of their bondage. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"We've every Summons point plotted from here to Mayoi and Kara, from Mayoi all down the road to Hebian-to, and ninety-five percent of the Tou-Tou peninsula!" he stated with pride and conviction.

"Give us the word, and we'll have them all closed down within a week!" he promised fervently. There were approving noises all around. That was a big step!

"Any interference from the local tribes?" I asked him directly.

"Her Highness' diplomatic relations with them appear to be holding." Elder Jorgio said it with a straight face, but everyone else tried hard to hide their smirks. Kris' ability to speak their languages, be they snarling, yowling, meeping, or just plain pummeling the shit out of them to earn their respect, had become something of a quiet legend among those serving here.

The Scouts' and soldiers' ability to move about the area without interference was a direct result of barbarian diplomacy delivered with casual goodwill and a love of fighting that even the banderlings had to respect... although the monugas were still mule-headed about it all, given that they were the real natives to the island and everything here had once been theirs.

"I understand there were some confirmed reversions in Tou-Tou." Everyone looked at him in surprise, but he just nodded.

"The Summons points in the former housing settlement closer to Tou-Tou you had Sealed reactivated three days ago. Grievver Shredders started reforming on exactly one point per day as the Scouts watched, with no outside force visibly involved. Although a few random shades from the Vortex area did pass through, none of them displayed any involvement in said reactivations at all.

We were unable to read the affected ley lines directly due to the presence of the grievvers, but we assume the same corruption spreading from the Vortex itself overcame the Se aling effect of the vivus after this period of time." That was highly unwelcome news, but also hardly unexpected. Everyone accepted it with grim faces, long ago warned that the miracle of vivus was not the cure-all to the fundamental imbalances in place on Dereth.

"What actions did you take?" I asked him.

"We set up early vivic torches in the Zefir Nest settlement you had cleared. We are hoping this will forestall any corruption reaching that far suddenly. There was one group of marguls that came through and attacked them, knocking them all down, but we put them back up once the little demons moved on."

"A good short-term solution. In the end, we need to Seal Tou-Tou to cement our control of southeastern Dereth. The only thing we need do before then is cripple the Gotrok's ability to amass a Summons army.

"Salvage efforts?" I continued asking Elder Jorgio.

"Every single settlement in the same coverage area has been fully gone through, Detected, and Sifted for anything and everything of value," he stated confidently.

"The Scout teams are very thorough and did the job right, Lady Magos." It had been his first assignment as an active mage assisting the Scouts. We wanted all those places stripped clean of value, so they could be razed and rebuilt without any hesitation. Since the hauls were used to make Gear to support the rebuilding efforts, it was a prized detail… and the men had to be trusted not to keep treasures for themselves, so they were all vetted Good, and there were at least two Marked in every Salvage Team.

"Then we're clear to go. Report to the Warlord and get your orders. If I'm correct, we're going to clear a ten-mile perimeter from the fortress first, and then head northeast." I turned my head at a faint rattling, a troop of four skeletal undead in freshly-patched brightly painted Sho armor racing past us and out the main gates towards Mayoi.

"She's sending messages to Master Ben Ten. He should be rolling out to contain any shade outbreaks as we roll the Summon Seals out and to the northeast." Although it was more likely he had the messages before the messengers were ever sent. More misdirection.

"We'll need to cut down Tou-Tou and finally Seal it before any other forces react to our movement and attack while our forces are occupied elsewhere." I regarded the Viamontian War Mage Elder firmly.

"Your mapping of Gotrok Summon points is fairly extensive at this time, I imagine."

"Yes, Lady Magos!" he confirmed.

"It would not surprise me at all if you are going to be with an elite team going out there and shutting a whole bunch of those down as a major distraction to them." Elder Jorgio paused to consider that, doubtless wanting to be in on the Tou-Tou efforts, and then he smiled harshly.

"I'll have the lightning ready to go, Lady Magos!" I nodded to him. His efforts would make sure the work on the Tou-Tou Penninsula went off smoothly, and he'd be earning his Karma for his part, there was no doubt.

"Remember the Gotrok souls are slaved to the Summoning system, and you will be setting them free, as well. Liberation comes in many forms."

"Yes, Lady Magos." He bowed, and I returned it.

"Off to the Warlord. She's going to be putting you and the War Mages to proper work, unlike me." He stifled a disbelieving look, given the demands on time and power I was very prone to make of anyone who wanted to be called a Matrix-trained War Mage. I just raised an eyebrow, he saluted, and then hurried off before I found something mana-intensive and grindingly boring for him and his to do, instead.

"They work like dogs," Elder Gu Man stated quietly, looking after Elder Jorgio with careful respect.

"You helped train them. If they weren't ready to work like dogs, they wouldn't have signed up," I agreed with him. As the man most in charge of the various branches of foundational training, setting up the War Mage disciplines and programs had also been part of his remit, and he'd worked closely with Elder Jorgio crafting a program to meet the needs of what we were doing. Advancing as a soldier required going Deeper than most mages did, but the increased activity and Karma made up for it.

Engaging in meaningful missions and completing objectives meant Quest Karma and Glory Awards. Those things advanced people far more rapidly than just grinding away at Summons in Dungeons, of which repeating the latter endlessly couldn't even advance a Matrix Class at all, although it could advance related Masteries or Feats, like Favored Enemy tiers or the like. We were going to be moving fast and hard shortly, and I had a lot of spellcasting ahead of me, too.