Steelforged Legacy 4 - Chapter 1

Hello all and welcome to the pre-release chapters for Steelforged Legacy 4. The next book out is actually going to be Summoned by Monster Girls 2: Salvaging Shadows, but ya'll already have all those chapters in the rough format, so I'm just leaving them archived here for now and stepping past to Steelforged Legacy 4. (Which also means we'll progress a bit sooner past SFL4 to MGiS 7 too. Look forward to it!)

As always, these are the pre-editor chapters, so they will have errors and be a bit rough. I hope you enjoy the new turns that the story takes in Steelforged Legacy 4: Warrior's Grit.

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Chapter 1

“To all of my new clanmates, welcome!” boomed the voice of Queen Runa where she stood on the balcony set high in the cliff overlooking the valley at the center of the Roaring Mountain.

The woman stood tall, her poise and bearing making even the simple clothes she wore feel regal. The late afternoon sun glimmered on the ash-gray braid of hair that hung over one shoulder, swaying in the breeze as she gestured with both muscled arms. But it was the aura of power that hung about Runa that kept the mass of new inductees to the Roaring Mountain silent where they gathered below.

“To those of you who were unsuccessful, I thank you for your interest. Though your path diverges from that of the Roaring Mountain, may you walk the Drengr’s Road with pride as you chase the Heavens themselves!”

Runa pumped one fist over her head before clapping it to one breast in a warrior’s salute, and it was like a spell holding the gathered masses silent below her was broken. A mixed roar of triumph, exultation, and joy rose up from the scores gathered below her.

The fact that several hundred had gathered there weeks prior didn’t matter, or that over half the people in the field did not complete the last trial satisfactorily to any of them. Those that had succeeded were triumphant, and even those who had failed but had made it this far felt reinvigorated to receive encouragement from one so far above them.

Casey stood at the back of the crowd, studying the elaborately carved inner face of the peak where Queen Runa stood. Of all the celebrating drengr, he was silent and thoughtful as he watched the whole scene unfold. That’s not to say that Casey didn’t feel a stirring at Runa’s words, though. He just had a lot on his mind right now.

Man, she really can talk. Even I feel like cheering, Magnus sent to him telepathically, the Grovewalker Elk standing at Casey’s back and gave a quiet snort of amusement that ruffled Casey’s hair.

She has to be skilled at speaking like this, it’s a necessary trait of a leader, Maude replied to the large elk from her position in the sheath at Casey’s hip.

Well, I’m just glad that Casey doesn’t have to worry about that for now. My brother is a hell of a warrior, but he doesn’t have the practice or that kind of presence. At least he doesn’t while he’s not wearing the blood of an enemy like war paint, Magnus replied, his deep, amused tone marked with another elky huff of laughter.

“Now is a time to make merry!” Queen Runa continued from her perch above. “For those of you who had clear visions and believe you know what type of spirit beast is to be your partner, you will be released to travel into the lands surrounding the Roaring Mountain to seek them out. For those of you who are unsure, senior drengr will work with you to meditate and see what animal speaks the language of your heart. But if you completed the trials in the Womb of the Earth, then you will find your partner.”

Another cheer rose up from the crowd, though a bit more ragged now as disappointment for those who did not succeed muffled a few voices.

“That is a task for tomorrow, though!” Runa cut in as the cheer began to subside. “Eat and drink! Mingle with your new clanmates and get to know your seniors! Say farewell to friends and kin whose road takes them elsewhere, and for those that depart, give encouragement to your friends who remain! Know we all chase the Heavens together!”

That brought a renewed roar of enthusiasm from the crowd, and specifically from the large, brown haired man at Casey’s side.

“Now that is what I am talking about!” Einar cheered, elbowing Casey playfully while his dark blue eyes danced in excitement. “Our trials are finished and we are free! I wonder what kinds of ale or mead they make here…”

“Of course you would be wondering about that,” sighed Vibeke from her spot on the other side of Einar. “I wonder if your mind goes beyond your stomach some days.” The lithe spearwoman was already looking better 

“Oh it does!” Einar countered as the collection of drengr began to break up and head towards the long trestle tables that had been set up for their meals before. Already, others were coming out of the buildings built into the side of the split peak of the mountain with barrels and platters while those with musical talent could be heard tuning instruments.

“But only when his belly is full,” Casey interjected before Einar could speak, elbowing the big man back.

“I’m not that food motivated!” Einar protested, though his smile didn’t fade. “I have a passion for mead, and of course I’m curious to see what kinds they have here.”

“Just don’t drink so much that I have to drag you back to your tent,” Casey warned him with a shake of his head.

I could drag him back to his tent, Magnus interjected, the wicked humor in the elk’s tone ensuring Casey knew that this was not something that Einar would want to happen. Likely because Magnus would ensure Einar was dragged through every muddy spot or stream he could find on the way there.

“Well, let’s get a spot at one of the tables before they are all gone. I don’t know about you two, but I would like to get something to eat. Between the trial and the ceremony, I’m worn out,” Casey said to end the teasing and bickering between his friends. “Besides, don’t we need to find Dagny and her girls to see how they did?”

“That’s right!” Einar boomed happily, his grin returning to full strength. “Not only have you worked your tail off, friend Casey, but we have cause to celebrate the successful bonding with good Magnus!”

Okay, maybe I do like Einar, Magnus sent to Casey, his tune changing immediately with the compliment from the big man.

You are way too vain, Casey sent with a mental snort at the elk. Magnus didn’t deign to respond to that and went silent as the large man began urging them towards the tables.

“I’m still surprised that the ceremony was so simple,” Vibeke said as they set out and began walking towards the tables. She also started scanning the crowds, looking for the familiar sight of their friends.

“Simple doesn’t mean it’s not powerful,” Einar interjected as he fell in behind the two of them, walking alongside Magnus. “The amount of preparation and work that went into that ritual chamber… I understand now why the Roaring Mountain both keeps it a secret and is so powerful.”

Not to mention the confluence of power under the mountain itself that fuels the ritual and other arrays here too, Maude added silently.

Casey’s brow wrinkled at that, and it struck him just how unfair the situation was for Maude right now. She could talk, but only with him and Magnus. The goddess bound into his weapon could communicate with spirit beasts and the elementals as well, but encountering those was rather rare.

I need to get on the ball and get Maude stronger so that she can join us, Casey thought to himself.

Unfortunately, his hand had settled in its normal position over the pommel of Maude in her seax form while they walked, and she heard his mental oath.

You are already doing so much for me, Casey, Maude said warmly. I have grown so much in the last few months. Explosively, even. We both have our goals to chase, but that doesn’t mean we need to rush.

It’s not rushing, Casey insisted. I have the ability to grow and draw power from sources others cannot. So I want to start tapping into those sources again. The fact that it also allows me to fuel you, while eliminating more of the Fomori, is a rather nice bonus.

You aren’t fooling me, Casey, Maude replied, but the tinge of love in her mental tone made it obvious she wasn’t upset with him, despite how the mental communication made her voice sound somewhat flat to him.

“The craftswoman in me wants to know how they constructed the arrays needed for that ritual chamber,” Vibeke was saying as their group skirted the edge of the crowd to reach the tables where food was being served. “But my practical side tells me that there is no way they’d reveal that to someone as new as I.”

“But we have completed the hardest part, we are now part of the Roaring Mountain!” Einar said triumphantly, patting his broad chest with pride.

“That won’t be official until tomorrow,” Casey reminded him gently. “You remember what the elder said after we finished with my bonding to Magnus.”

“Yes yes, that we would receive our uniforms and the like in the next few days. But yours has already shifted!” Einar proclaimed, pointing to the embroidery on Casey’s breast that showed the symbol of the Roaring Mountain.

The embroidery had appeared shortly after his oath to join the clan was taken, but Casey wasn’t as surprised by that, since he was wearing the set of qi-reinforced clothes that had been given him by the Roaring Mountain as part of his reward.

“Hey, there’s Arna!” Vibeke proclaimed, dragging the attention of the two men with her towards the waving figure a few tables towards the center of the group.

<><><>

Casey slept fitfully.

Not because of the amount of mead that he’d drank while celebrating with Einar and the others. Or because of the amount of rich food he’d consumed before falling into bed while Magnus laughed at him.

No, Casey slept fitfully because of the swirling shadows that invaded his dreams.

It started simply, invading a dream of him flying on a winged longship like the ones he’d ridden aboard to reach the Roaring Mountain.

The sturdy wooden craft was on the smaller side, but that was fine because it was only Casey on board the ship. He moved back and forth across the surface, adjusting the ropes and turning the wings to guide the sky-bound sailing ship through the air far above the ground.

Rolling fields expanded in all directions, dotted with small patches of woodlands and cut through with winding streams. Small lakes and ponds glimmered with the reflected sunlight, while distant mountains reached for the sky.

The only thing in the sky besides his ship were a double-handful of scudding clouds, fluffy little things that left little streamers of white behind them as they rode the wind.

Casey didn’t question the fact that he was alone in the dream, without the constant companionship of Magnus or Maude as he had been since his very first days here. Instead, he just reveled in the living scent of the breeze and how free it felt up here.

A smudge on the horizon, like a pall of smoke hanging over a fire, caught his attention after an indeterminate amount of time.

Like a moth, the change in the horizon drew Casey towards it. A wave of his hand adjusted the ropes and his flying longship angled in that direction. Something tugged at Casey’s heart, urging him to go faster.

Racing to the levers and dials that controlled the arrays that kept the longship in the air, Casey adjusted them to increase the speed. Now, rather than relying on the wind in the sails to propel them while the arrays just kept them aloft, Casey felt a jerk from the ship as the arrays powered him forward.

Wind that had gently tossed his hair before now ripped at his clothing and cut at his face. But the sense of urgency that had swelled in Casey’s gut when he spotted the odd smear continued to urge him onwards.

Steadily, the brilliant green of the plains began to fade, and rocky outcroppings in a mixture of rusty red and dark brown began to replace them. The greenery began to yellow and dry out as well, with only bare riverbeds remaining. And the smudge grew wider to cover more of the horizon as Casey raced for its source.

Large buttes surged out of the earth, the towering stone monuments describing sharp ravines below that narrowed the route that he could take. Something told Casey not to rise above them, so he had to slow and steer the longship through the winding corridors.

His skin felt dry and stretched, like he had spent far too long in the sun and it was fighting off a burn. Casey’s tongue was dry and his lips felt cracked from the wind, but he still persevered. Something was calling to him, and he could not ignore its siren song.

The dark cloud now loomed overhead. Thick black shapes that blocked out the blue sky, while a blizzard of ashes swirled through the air high above. Thick, sticky, black flakes of something floated downwards, and he knew that if any of those flakes touched the mast of his longship, it would do great harm.

How he knew this, Casey couldn’t say. But something in his instincts screamed at him to not let those dark flakes touch his ship or himself.

Is this why I thought to stay within the ravines? Casey questioned himself, the dream world flowing past him like watercolor in a pulsing, surging wave. Rocks surged underneath his ship’s keel, but he continued, even as the ravine drew down narrower and narrower.

Coming around a wide curve, Casey saw the ravine walls opening up ahead of him and slowed his airship to a crawl. His instincts screamed to him that he did not want to burst out of cover and into the line of fire for whatever lay beyond.

The ground, which had been so far below him for the longest time, had risen to a bare hundred feet below the keel of his ship, and he could see it rising further ahead of him.

Navigating the last few hundred feet, Casey emerged from the ravines to see what lay beyond.

A blasted wasteland rolled in all directions. Sand the color of old, dried blood mixed with sickly gray ashes to swirl about gnarled rock formations. The ancient and worn stumps of trees, stripped of all greenery, bark, or life, protruded in some spots, but they looked more like arboreal bones than anything else, petrified and withered.

And cavorting amongst those shattered stones and corpses of trees, flinging handfuls of blood-colored sand into the air like they played in a pool, were Fomori.

Some the size of small children, waddling on anywhere between three and seventeen legs with as many arms, but never matching. Others the size of dogs, but with flippers, hooves, wings, or just raw nubs of bone rather than feet or paws.

Creatures with multiple distended mouths in place of eyes, navigating by smell as they played and exulted.

Bizarre creatures with too many joints, or misplaced features. No two matching exactly, and every one of them looked as if they had been boiled in nightmares before rolling in filth.

Winged monsters flapped on three or five wings overhead, dive bombing to grab one of the smallest ones, lifting it up by its four and a half legs. The smaller one screamed in surprise and fear, while the others below all laughed and laughed. The laughter, a sick and burbling noise, grew even higher in pitch as the winged one dropped its burden from on high to splatter on the rocks below. The other Fomori rushed in to cavort in the blood and innards of their fellow as well.

Casey stared in horror at the thousands upon thousands of the creatures as they fought, played, and did other fouler things at the edges of the world. And all he could think about was what, if anything, kept these beasts from invading the pristine lands behind him. The safe haven that he had just been enjoying.

Movement below on the ridge of rock at the mouth of the ravine drew his attention, and Casey dragged his eyes away from the foulness of the Fomori to see something that lit a fire in his belly.

A woman stood, defiant and proud, on the ridge of rock leading into the ravine. Flowing hair the red of hot metal whipped behind her in the foul breeze, and simple clothes of a dark brown clung to her body.

A thick wooden round shield clung to her left arm, edged in bright steel. He couldn’t get a view of the front to see what it held, but he knew there was something there. He’d seen shields like that before held by other drengr, and with the poise and confidence in the woman’s stance, he knew she was one of them. 

Hanging from her right fist was a gnarled club of wood, thick and menacing, with the head stained by blood and the shaft scarred by battle. A crude weapon but deadly in its purpose.

But what stood out the most to Casey was the way she stood like a wall against the Fomori. They had not seen her yet, but she stood in challenge to them should they turn this way. A mighty guardian who stood ready to face any who might threaten what stood behind her.

A flexing of her muscled arms brought the club up into the air and settled it across her shoulders. The mighty weapon was far larger than he had guessed at first glance. But the woman with her smooth, tanned skin shot through with lines of gray, hefted the massive branch with no problems.

She never looked up at him, but Casey heard someone speaking nonetheless. It came in an old woman’s voice, aged but unbroken, much like the warrior-woman’s weapon.

“They come. The threat from beyond. They corrupt the land, its people, and the very spirit of the world.”

“What do I do?” Casey demanded in return, slapping the lever to bring his cruising airship to a stop just above and behind the warrior-woman below him.

“You already walk the Road,” replied the old voice, shifting as it spoke to a slightly younger woman’s tone. “You wield righteous justice as a burning brand, and your heart roars in challenge to gods and man alike. You must also learn to shield your heart, lest the darkness you seek to defeat find soil to grow there.”

“What about her?” Casey demanded, rushing to the edge of the railing to look down at the lone guardian. “I can’t leave her to face them alone. Is there no one else to hold the line here?”

“You will find her, and perhaps help her,” the same ethereal voice replied, shifting again to the older tone. “But your hands alone cannot turn this tide. You must grow and understand the Legacy you carry. Steel must be hammered to form it, and your time on the anvil is not yet done.”

“I am up to the challenge!” Casey demanded, not looking away from the woman below him as concern continued to grow in him. He’d faced enemies alone before, and with Maude at his side he knew that he would never be alone again. 

Would this courageous warrior below him be okay, standing alone against this tide?

The woman shifted again, her stance moving to one prepared for battle, and Casey was stunned by what he saw.

A second set of arms, as perfectly formed and muscled as the first and looking entirely natural on her, unfolded below her arms. The rightmost gripped the haft of her weapon and steadied it, while the bottom-left one reached up to tuck a strand of hair out of her eyes. Eyes that turned upwards to him.

Eyes of a dark red color, like fresh fruit or glimmering rubies, met his.

And the dream fractured, spitting Casey back into the waking world.