Chapter 149: Fortification

Chapter 149: Fortification

“Add each day something to fortify you against poverty and death.”

Seneca the elder

We had been working on improving our foundations, growing our wealth and building up a powerbase in terms of competing with the Nobility of Ponente. Our preparations and their necessity suddenly took on greater importance when we were faced with threats to our mortality so close to home. I had not slept well and doubted that many on our isle had after the imminent threat to our lives had been revealed yesterday. I wondered how everybody else was coping.

“Morning,” I grumbled as I met up with my family at the breakfast table. It was likely that our lessons would be put on hold for the foreseeable future. But adversity in itself would probably teach us more valuable life lessons. In addition, the fact that the lessons were potentially life-threatening to both ourselves and our newfound enemies meant that they would be of more potent support to our levelling skills, stats and experience.

“Good morning,” Aleera replied. Aware of Lady Acacia watching and still expecting her to hold herself properly despite the probable lack of sleep last night. While the Singer metier was not the best to deal with this situation, the merchant metier was hardly any better.

“Help yourself.” Mother insisted and judging by the amount of food prepared she had possibly helped out in the kitchen with our maid and butler despite the frown that this seemed to bring to Lady Acacia's perfectly sculpted face. The new habits of nobility she was attempting to instil in our family were new and not yet habitual. She had clearly returned to her comfort activities which in this case was cooking for her family.

Still, you couldn't beat a home-cooked meal and this was the closest I would be getting to a cooked breakfast in a long time.

Father though took the words to heart and was happily filling up his plate to break his fast. If there was one aspect of living on our isle that he enjoyed the most it was the wider variety of food it afforded him freshly picked from our hidden garden. “So, plans for today?” He asked before tucking into his food. He would fall in line with what we decided he just wanted to know what that decision was.

“I think we need to go back,” I stated simply, fully aware that this might not be the most popular of decisions.

“Back? Why on earth would you go closer to where the monsters might come spilling forth from.” Mother interrupted. “Has yesterday taught you nothing? You are safer staying on our isle.” It was clear that our safety was her number one concern.

“Are we though? We can make the most difference the closer we are to the exit.” I questioned. I was unwilling to be shut down just yet. “Obviously we need to fortify our own home as well but if we can turn the exit into a killing field then that will hopefully keep them contained or at least controlled.”

"A killing field?" She queried.

"A space designed to help us kill them," I answered. This is what I had spent the majority of my wakeful moments working on. Between Callen and I we had come up with a raft of plans to make it perilous.

“I’m not happy with the idea of you going up there alone.” She argued not quite ready to give up the argument. As well as not admitting that it needed to be done.

“I never said I would go alone, ideally it would be all of us. You can shape stone, together we could do so much more than anyone else. With Grandfather to watch over us as we worked maybe even Lady Acacia could add in a layer of defence.” I postulated looking toward her for support with my idea. I had ideas on how to use her magic as well in the designs I had created.

“I can certainly help a little seeing as this is my home too and I hardly wish to see it overrun with vermin or worse base races from the Lodestone.” She inclined her head in agreement. Shuddering a little as she said the words base races. We had not gone into a lot of detail about them but just as each noble race had a specific strength so too did each base race. With trolls being the antithesis of elves in every way. Yet they still held vitality as their race's trait only for them it provided regeneration as opposed to long-lived.

Mother sighed in acceptance; it was the right choice to make despite how much she did not wish to make it. Ultimately, we would all be safer after fortifying the entrance. “Very well, but let’s be up there and back again sooner rather than later. There is no reason to spend all day up there. We can be back by lunch or at the latest tea."

“Thank you,” I said with relief. It still smarted that I had to run everything by my family first. I wished to be more independent. That being said they kept me from making too many mistakes now that they were more aware of my capabilities.

“Thank you, Mother,” Aleera added, eager to help as well.

“Not you. There is nothing that you can do up there. If you want to help, go and see about organising the town with your Grandpa Smit but I see no reason to risk the two of you at the same time.” she insisted.

“But my magic . . .” Aleera started to argue but was again instantly shut down.

“No buts young lady. You may have a modicum of magic but your strengths and metier lie in organising not in building or defending. Stick to your strengths.” She stated unwilling to take the two of us up to the eastern edge of the isle at the same time now that she was aware of the dangers. “We will drop you off in town on our way if you would like us to or can I trust you to make your own way?” she asked pointedly.

“Fine, fine. I can make my own way.” She answered frustrated that she would not be accompanying us. I kept quiet and small to avoid drawing my sister’s ire. I was simply happy that my mother was letting me go and I saw no reason to help her change her mind.

. . . .

As Father sailed us across the lagoon, we could see that we were not the only ones making our way there. Another eight individuals were walking around the southern edge of the lagoon heading towards the tower to relieve the first eight sentinels who had watched the exit last night. I wondered as we made our way across whether it had been a quiet night or if anything had actually happened.

In the moment of calm, I enjoyed watching the sunlight shimmer on the cerulean lagoon, the small waves glistening in the morning light. On the edge of the lake, I could see the dappled emerald green of the tree's crowns marching their way up to the eastern cliffs. Would such picturesque scenery remain if the Mosau Eels had made it to the water? Or would it still have looked as beautiful with the knowledge of hidden dangers lurking under the water or in the shadows of the trees?

The fear was a reminder to spin up my other half and set my senses to their maximum just in case. I watched the floor of the lagoon rise ever closer as we headed to the shore through the bottom of the boat. Not with my eyes but with my other senses. Knowing precisely when the water would grow shallow enough to ground us, I was unsurprised when we grounded with a thump running up the shallows.

“Great to be back,” Callen announced as my mind split in two to process all the data it was receiving.

“Thank you, Lady Acacia, that should be more than enough spears for me to throw.” Another of the new sentinels pronounced his thanks. I was finally noticing the conversation but did not feel guilty for listening in now that it had been called to my attention.

“Any chance of some arrows?” Another archer asked cheekily. Fully aware of the huge spears she had grown and had laid out beside her.

It seemed spears or rather sharpened stakes were easy enough to grow. Arrows though either required more skill mana or were just to think to create in the quantities required. Whichever the case Lady Acacia had not deigned to create any.

Though she still deserved a great big thank you for all of the support she had already provided.

. . .

“That’s a smooth drop.” Another praised my mother’s progress. “Never knew you could do magic.” He added commenting on the fact that she had kept it secret all these years her and grandfather had lived in the town or at least on the edge of it.

“We were never in a position to let it be known.” She answered the unasked question. Even the locals were well enough aware that a child showing such skills was likely to be snapped up at the earliest of opportunities.

“Yes, well we are truly grateful that you feel comfortable enough to us use it now.” He replied gratefully. Some of the townspeople thought that the reason we had become nobles was simply to access our magic without fear of control.

Although another muttered to another, “A siren in more ways than just song.” Before he was hushed in turn but not before he had revealed the other side of public opinion.

. . .

“That’s all for today.” Mother declared as she finally ran out of mana. I still had more to spare but had done perhaps twice the amount of work. However, I didn’t wish to push too far today. It was better to have one layer of defence completed rather than have more than one incomplete. The Sentinels had managed just fine without the defences last night they should be fine for tonight as well when they now had something so much better to support them.

“Time to go home then,” Arawn added patting a pocket full of beast cores that had been collected. As we worked, he brought the corpses over one at a time for me to identify as well as tell him where the cores were. It meant that when they were carried back, they would have fewer holes in the materials to be processed but that the family was also able to keep the cores. Which were the most valuable part of the entire corpse.

"Time to go." I repeated stunned that the morning had passed so quickly but also that they had kids available.

The eight original sentinels made their way back to town carrying their loads of monster corpses. Meat and materials that would be repurposed into other things. Payment for their civic duties alongside the skill levels, experience and stats they would have received for killing the monsters. Maybe people would even become disappointed when there were no monsters to slay but that was a problem for Grandpa Smit to solve. For now, though it was important that they continued to come and stand sentinel over the entrance to the depths.

We returned to our island. It was still light having only spent the morning working on the East point Tower’s defences. Which meant that we could start working on ours too. It was much the same but in reverse. Cutting away at the mountain to form giant smooth walls on par with the ones of Wester Town. This was not a job that could be completed in an afternoon or a day. But we had made a start.

Aleera returned home to say that the archbishop had departed but promised Bishop Bailie and Compass Knight Jacques full attention to our family should we ever require it. He had also taken with him our old Priest Aravan whose departure at least put a smile on our mother’s face. “Good riddance.” Was all she had to say on that.

We sat down to dinner satisfied that even if we had not yet completed the defences required, we had made a good start on them. The maid and butler had got into the habit of laying the table setting out the food and retiring to allow us our private conversations.

“While we may have revealed more than we would have liked. I judge the benefits to have been outweighed the disadvantages.” Lady Acacia toasted the successful navigation of the archbishop’s visit.

“The favours were worth their weight in gold in terms of experience for my class,” Aleera informed us.

“Not sure the favours were of equal value considering the monsters they called forth from the Lodestone.” Mother disagreed.

“It really is a blessing in disguise that we were there for their emergence. It could have ended up far worse for the island.” Lady Acacia stated.

“I’m not disagreeing that it could have gone a lot worse just that the costs might outweigh the favours.” Mother cautioned.

“You even have a changing of the church. Bishop Bailie seems far more agreeable than Aravan ever was. Plus, a Compass Knight of the Lodestar Church is worth his weight in pearls or gold if we can prevail upon him to help train the Town’s Guard and East point’s Sentinels.” Lady Acacia extolled the value of the favours gained. “A single entrance to the depths is hardly too high a cost.”

“About that,” Grandfather muttered.

“Yes?” Lady Acacia arched an eyebrow.

“In the light of lodestar and full transparency, there might just happen to be another entrance to depths on the island.” He answered rolling a knife back and forth between his fingers avoiding the sudden stare of every head at the table.

“There’s another?” she quickly quizzed.

“Well, how else do you think we arrived on the island.” He replied.