Still, he had not rejoiced in the new knowledge. Instead, Richter had only focused on her reaction. If she couldn’t help him with his quest, he didn’t know who could. After her initial reaction, though, Hisako had him relate the entire story. He talked about the battle with the dark aberration and finding the gems afterward. He also told her that the gems were the corrupted souls of the aberration’s victims through the centuries. He had also told her about the quests that gave him a choice to use the soul stones to power his own enchantments or to find a Light master to free the souls. Her face had lost the look of anger, but she still glanced with disgust at his bag. She had stared so long that Richter had thought she was trying to destroy the crystals with her mind. A ludicrous idea until you realized that she was the Master of a Place of Power and had a level so high that his Analyze skill didn’t work on her.
Thankfully, she just calmed down and had told him that she could cleanse the taint from the stones and free the souls, but only once they were back at the Hearth Tree. It was only there that she could use the full extent of her powers. He had nodded, regretful that she could not help immediately, but happy that there was hope for the tortured souls held within the crystals. The Hearth Mother had also made it clear that Richter should not show her the dark jewels again until they were ready to be destroyed.
Richter had considered the matter closed. Now, it seemed that she was questioning if the appearance of the dark crystals, the rise of the undead and now the appearance of the Bloodstone had not just involved him, but perhaps had happened because of him.
When she spoke, she did so softly. Not in recrimination, but instead it was almost in pity, “The very first time we met, all I saw was a dirty human in roughspun clothes. What I felt, however, was that somehow a universe of possibilities stood before me. I told you that I did not detect evil in you, but that was not exactly true. My magic showed absolute horror and absolute beauty coexisting in one moment, and a completely blank slate in the next. I believe I have taken your measure, Master Richter, and in my opinion you are more likely to choose good than evil. It does not change that all of these amazing and horrible things are happening however, and they all seem to involve you.”
Richter just looked at her with his mouth slightly open, “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m just me.”
Hisako finally broke her stare, and looked back at the table, “We shall see, Master Richter. We shall see.”
CHAPTER 15 – Day 141 – Kuborn 31, 15,386 EBG
Richter slept like the dead. His Belt of Sustenance greatly decreased the food, drink and sleep that he needed, but he was still flesh and blood. The battles, stress and emotional onslaught all took their toll. The war planning had gone on for another hour or so, but it had really just involved some fine-tuning of Yoshi’s original plan. He gave his own room to Hisako again and so had just balled up his cloak and slept on the floor of the conference room. His back was knotted from sleeping on rock, but a few stretches and cracks made him feel right as rain.
Alma was asleep on his chest, making that faint rumbling purr that she always did when she was content. With a mischievous grin, he poked her belly. She opened one eye in what could only be called severe irritation and looked at her master. When she saw his grin, she blew a strong gust of air up his nose. It was powerful enough that it made his eye twitch and he shouted, “Gah!” She jumped into the air with a toot of triumph.
*I was sleeping, master,* she thought to him in a scolding tone, *and I don’t have a magic belt that makes me annoyingly awake in the middle of the night.*
*My god, you’re touchy,* he thought back, amused at the indignant little dragonling.
*I flew over thirty miles yesterday!*
*Exactly,* Richter responded, goading her on, *You got to fly. I had to walk and fight undead! You just got to float along, you lazy thing.*
*Lazy? LAZY? Master you have no idea how much-*
Richter just chuckled to himself as he got up and started walking out of the catacombs. Alma flew behind him, all sleepiness forgotten as she kept up a running train of psychic communication to her master. The chaos seed thanked his lucky stars that half-listening to women as he walked was a skill he had mastered before even coming to The Land.
Soon they emerged from the tunnel and into the open air. The rain had stopped falling and the sky was remarkably clear. Alma had stopped berating him during the several-hundred-yard walk and now sat on his shoulder, her tail wrapped around his arm. Richter enjoyed the nighttime view of his village for a few seconds before starting off at a jog. There was work to be done.
The last thing he had done before going to sleep had been to give Futen an order. The remnant had been told to arrange for all of the smiths to be in the Forge of Heavens by daybreak. Richter estimated that was less than an hour away. He made his way through the quiet village and soon the Core building came into view. The red glow of an awakened forge shone from within and brought a smile to his face.
As he got closer, he could hear Bowdin’s gruff voice echoing out of the building, “Get that fire built higher. Ay told you to have that ore ready for smelting! Are ye trying to make me look bad? Ay swear that if ye embarrass me in front of his lordship, ay will use yer head as my new chamber pot! Ye should know, ay have got the runs!”
Gross as that was, it seemed like a motivating threat because all Richter heard in response was “Yes, smith!” as he walked into the Forge.
Bowdin greeted him with a broad grin on his bearded face, “Greetings, yer lordship! Yer early. What can this bunch of hammer swingers do for ye?”
All of the smiths looked up to see why their lord had needed them to be available so early. Richter looked around and said, “We have one day to enchant as much high quality weaponry and armor as we can. It may make the difference between life and death for our forces. I won’t let our people go out in low quality gear, but any project that you have already started will be finished today. Tonight, our village goes to war.”
Many of the smiths had looked ornery over having to be up so early. More than one looked to be nursing a hangover. When they heard what was at stake though, their expressions became deadly serious. The smiths might be a strong headed bunch, but almost all of them believed in the work they were doing to build the village.
Bowdin turned to the rest of the smiths, “Well, ye heard his lordship! Let’s get to work! He ho!”
The dwarven smiths shouted back, “Ho ha!” in unison. The few human smiths didn’t know the call, but they looked equally enthusiastic to help. Bowdin called out a second time, “He ho!” and this time all of the smiths shouted out, louder and with more enthusiasm. By his third call, the response was thundering, “HO HAAA!” The smiths exploded into action.
“What would you like to do first, yer lordship?” Bowdin asked. He had to pitch his voice loudly over the clamor of the awakened forge.