HK: Chapter 7

The first thing that I had to do in order to get my forces ready for the war was to reforge the Lorica and equipment into something better. Romaka Lorica was good, sure, but it wasn't good enough that I was comfortable taking men into battle wearing it. Instead, I borrowed a forge and began to reshape it using methods I knew that the Vedics of Apsadanam Village didn't yet know. It helped that my powers seemed to lend themselves to this kind of creation of equipment. For three days, this was all I did, taking the Lorica, breaking them down with my powers, and reforging them into brand new, shiny equipment. Not only did I reforge the Lorica to be proper steel, but with runes and alchemy, I made them all even stronger than my own Bronze Reinforced Leather Armor, which I had used against the Champion of Vipani in our duel.

The added bonus was that because I had reforged the armor in this way, there was enough iron remaining to craft myself a similar suit of armor. Doing so took a fourth day, but when I was finished, I was confident that my armor could withstand not just regular impacts, but also attacks from low-level brutes, flames, and electric shocks, without sacrificing mobility or flexibility. That took me one day to craft, and once I had it finished, I could begin work on the swords, javelins, and shields. In the end, I was confident that my troops and I would have the finest armor in all of Insula Damnatorum. Now, I went to work on the Swords, Javelins, and Shields that I had gotten as spoils of war from the Battle with Cestus' Legions.

These took much less time to refashion, as I didn't need to be anywhere near as thorough with them as I did for the armor. Instead, I made sure that the swords were not only steel but of a type that would be more familiar to the Hunters, effectively making them into a machete-type blade that was a more militarized version of the Bronze Machetes that the Hunters of Apsadanam Village used to clear foliage. I also ensured that they remained sharp, well-balanced, and sturdy in perpetuity, requiring no maintenance thanks to my runes and alchemy. Meanwhile, the Pila-style Javelins just needed a bit of reforging in the heads to make steel, while the bodies were treated with alchemical oils that ensured the hafts would not easily break. Each Pilum was then engraved with a single rune to increase penetrating power so that they would never fail to punch through shields, even the Scutum-type shields used by the Romaka. One day was all it took to make enough of these for the fifty-man force.

Lastly, there were the shields. These required the most refashioning aside from the Lorica, as the traditional shield used by the Warriors of the Vedic Peoples was smaller and round, instead of large, full-bodied, and square. It was in reforging the shields that I received enough extra material to make a new blade of my own, but that would be for later. For now, I refashioned the shields into versions that the Hunters of Apsadanam Village would be more familiar with, saving the leftover iron for my own crafting later. These shields were remade into steel Dhal-style shields, engraved with runes to be stronger and tougher, as well as flame and lightning-resistant, and treated alchemically so as not to need maintenance. This took a single day, just for the shields, one that had me working late into the night.

The final day was spent on my new sword. It was another blade that would be an imitation of the Kusanagi-No-Tsurugi, a straight-bladed, Tsurugi-style sword, made of steel and treated alchemically to not require maintenance and always remain sharp, sturdy, and able to cut. I also added runes that would help me to better channel the electric power I possessed using my second breathing method and Storm Magic through my sword when needed, which I figured would come in handy at some point in the future. This, thankfully, only took me twelve hours, and when I was finished, I could finally sleep. I did so for ten hours, waking the next day and making my way over to the training grounds, in actuality just a space that had been cleared of vegetation outside the village.

It was here that I began my training of the Hunters. Thankfully, I was able to use shortcuts with my powers to aid in this, creating Skill Cards for them to absorb that would allow them to swiftly learn swordplay, how to wear armor and use shields, tactical abilities, how to move and fight in formation with Discipline, how to set up a camp on the march, basic first aid, Logistical Knowledge, and all the various things that a fighting force needed to learn to be effective. Of course, actually getting them to absorb the skill cards was the biggest issue here. The cards themselves glowed with a subtle bluish-white light, making them seem ethereal and unearthly to the assembled hunters of Apsadanam Village. When I brought the first set of Skill Cards out for them to absorb, the Hunters seemed to balk at the clearly supernatural cards.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

Nobody spoke, clearly not wanting to offend the Deva in their midst, who had already saved their village and had now given them a bunch of shiny new equipment. However, I didn't need to hear them speak to see how wary they were of these Skill Cards. I was good enough at reading people for that. At the same time, though, I couldn't allow this sort of attitude to fester. If there was a problem, I needed to know about it, and I needed them to realize that they could voice said problem to me without fear of being smote on the spot for having the temerity to let me know what their issue was.

"Are you afraid?" I queried.

Still no response, causing me to sigh. I pinched the bridge of my nose and fixed the fifty assembled Hunters with a flat look. It seemed I needed to actually come out and say that I wasn't going to hit them with bolts of lightning from my eyes or any such thing just for voicing a grievance with things.

"I promise, I won't hold it against you if you tell me about an issue you're having with the training. I'm not the sort of person to do such things." I placated.

"Well, Lord Trito, it is just that. . ." Spoke up one man, a stocky, bearded man in his late twenties, before trailing off.

"If there's an issue, I need to know. How can I fix a problem I do not know about?" I asked, trying to get someone to talk.

"It's just that those squares are clearly mystical, Lord. We have heard stories about things that happen when ordinary folk get tangled in the mystical. It never ends well for the ordinary folk." Admitted the Stocky Bearded Man.

"What is your name?" I questioned.

"Darsh, Lord." Answered the Stocky Bearded Man.

"Well, Darsh, these cards will imbue you all with the necessary skill to wield the new equipment effectively in a manner that will dramatically cut down on the time that it takes to train you all. It is sort of important to this whole endeavor." I informed.

"And this Magic will not harm us, Lord?" He queried.

"It will not. It will grant you skill, though that skill will still need to be practiced. However, that is something that can be done over the next week and a half. Without this magic, training you to a basic level of competency will take much longer. Six weeks at least, likely twice that many." I answered, using the Sanskrit name for the Week.

It was a conservative estimate, too, based entirely on my abilities as a teacher, which were considerable though I had no idea where they had come from. It was more likely than not that a realistic timeline would actually take anywhere from ten to sixteen weeks. It took at least that long to train a Roman Legionary, according to my Marco Manfreidi memories of Roman History. I could not afford to wait that long, as it was entirely possible that the war would be over by then, and maybe not with a positive outcome, either. If Vipani and the Yavana Hellenic League of Four Poleis lost the war to the Romaka, then it was likely that they would return to fucking with the Mrudutalam Marsh as revenge for the defeat I had been instrumental in inflicting on Cestus and his Legions. If that happened, I wasn't sure if I could stop them by myself with only what troops the Marsh Communities of Vedics could muster as reinforcements.

Thankfully, my words seemed to calm the men somewhat. I had no idea why, not until Darsh spoke up next. When he did, he surprised me, though perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised, given that his name meant 'To See' in Sanskrit.

"You say that we will still need to train the normal way to make use of these mystically-granted skills?" He asked.

"I did." I confirmed.

"Then these cards, as you call them, are not so mystical as to be shunned entirely by normal folk like us. I will volunteer to take them first." He intoned.

Right then and there, I knew I had found my second in command. I handed the first set of skill cards over to him and began to offer him instructions on how to absorb the skill cards into his mind. To his credit, Darsh clearly wanted to believe me when I said that this would work the way I did. He was clearly willing and eager to learn, so that it would.

"Concentrate on the card, clear your mind of everything else, and visualize the card breaking into motes of light and being breathed in by you. Visualize the motes of light suffusing your mind and body." I instructed.

He did so, breathing in and out, and trying to meditate on the cards. After a few moments, the first card, which held instructions on how to fight with a Machete, broke apart into softly glowing motes of blueish-white light, suffusing Darsh's Body. When he opened his eyes, he drew his Machete and began going through combat drills for swordwork with such a blade that I knew he hadn't had previously. When he finished the first set of drills, he Darsh sheathed his machete and frowned.

"I do not feel any different. I also do not seem to have any thoughts I didn't have before." He mused, looking at his hands.

"That is because all is as I said. Do you doubt me now?" I questioned.

"No. No, I do not." He responded.

From there, everyone was clamoring to learn, now that I had proven that there were no adverse side effects. It turned out that Darsh was something of a respected figure among the Hunters of Apsadanam Village, and if he said that the others should trust in the magic of the Skill Cards, then they would agree to do so. I made him my second in command right then and there, and shortly after, everyone had begun absorbing skill cards and gearing up in the new equipment I had brought them. An hour later, I began to run them through drills, and the training was able to begin in earnest. For the next week and a half, I put them all through their paces, training the skills into them that they had just absorbed so that their muscle memory could get them all down swiftly.

At the same time, I began creating more skill cards for various folks in the village who volunteered. Ones for Navigation, Hunting, Swimming, Situational Awareness, Spatial Awareness, Survival, Navigation, Animal Taming, Exploration, Spear Fighting, Kickboxing, Archery, Grappling, Discipline, First Aid, Concealment, Stealth, Resourcefulness, and Dirty-Fighting for a militia group made up of the young hunters, which had yet to actually complete their training. I made cards for Brewing, Construction, Weaving, Carpentry, Blacksmithing, Cooking, and Leatherworking for various village craftspeople. I made cards for Animal Husbandry, Animal Taming, Gardening, Expert Breeding for Flora and Fauna, and Biology for the people in charge of what little farming was done in the village. And I made cards for both Chief Arjun and Amala that included a selection of Martial Arts, Philosophy, Inspiration, Investigation, Strategy, Tactics, Cloak and Dagger Skills, Presentation, and others to learn, which would help them guide the village.

By the time the allotted three weeks were up, Apsadanam Village was as knowledgeable as I could make them in the short amount of time I had, and my fifty-man fighting force was ready, trained, and equipped for war. Tomorrow, we would march out of the village and head along the Gadah River for the Plains and Vipani beyond. Now, however, there was a banquet being held in my honor in the Palace. Not only were there multiple courses, each appearing more succulent than the last, but there was locally-sourced mead and wine from the Yavana Vinyards in great quantities. I was seated in a position of honor, at the same table as Amala and Lord Arjun. I was drinking quite a bit, though it didn't distract me from the fact that Amala was playing footsie with me under the table, made possible by the fact that the head table had elevated seating while the other tables sat on cushions on the floor. The perks of being at the Lord's table, I supposed.

Regardless, the dishes were delicious. Rice and Vegetable Pallao, Chickpea Curry with Fowl, Spiced Crab Curry over White Rice, a type of Spiced Marinated Lamb, and Yoghurt and Fruit Desserts. It was all very rich and filling, and it was clear that Lord Arjun had really pushed the boat out. As the meal began to wind down, however, Lord Arjun stood up and raised his cup as he did so, the hall falling silent.

"I would like to raise a toast to Lord Trito. Not only has he saved Apsadanam Village from certain destruction at the hands of the Beasts of the Marsh, but he has also freely shared his wisdom with us. It is thanks to him that our smiths can now work iron in a way that even the Yavana and Romaka Smiths cannot. Our meager farms will be able to produce a bumper crop as well, and our village is more protected now than ever, all thanks to his sharing of knowledge." Spoke the Lord.

"It was nothing. How could I see the state your village was in and not seek to help?" I queried, waiving off his praise.

"Many others in your place would not have done so, taking the first opportunity presented to leave us, make their way to Vipani, or even further beyond, where more lucrative opportunities could be found. You stayed and sought to help us even beyond the initial tenure here. For that, we will forever be grateful." Insisted Lord Arjun.

"Please, it was a small thing to help you out. Besides, your Father pulled me from the River. Without his intervention, who knows what might have happened to me?" I asked, nodding at Shastri Tripathi, who had finished his Rice and Vegetable Pallao and was dutifully working on a small dish of Yogurt and Fruit.

"Be that as it may, we still owe you a debt. One which will not soon be paid in full." Admitted Lord Arjun.

"Use the skills I have taught you to prosper and to defend your fellow marsh communities from future aggression. That is all you need to do to repay any debt you might feel toward me." I demurred.

"Truly, this is the humility borne of the heavens. Tomorrow, Lord Trito goes off to war to end the threat the Romaka present to our kinsmen in Vipani. Please, everyone, raise your cups and join me in wishing him a speedy victory, that our Hunters might return home in Glory." Intoned Lord Arjun.

Everyone did so, offering well-wishes, thanks, and praise. Of course, I didn't do it for the praise. I did it because it needed doing. Despite what the memories of some of my lives, namely those of Daniel Zamoyski and Ken Okita, might think, it did feel good to do good, even just on occasion. Of course, the beautiful Princess seated across from me, who was currently running her foot along my leg, also didn't hurt. As wine was drunk and the toast was ended, Amala mouthed the words 'bedroom, ten minutes' at me. I felt my little soldier stand at attention at that, giving a smirk and a nod back to her. She stood with a wink at me and made her excuses to leave. I did the same a few minutes later, downing the last cup of Mead and claiming that I needed to be extra rested for tomorrow's march to war.

Start of NSFW Scene

When I arrived at the quarters I had been given in the palace, Amala was waiting for me, wearing a sheer silk robe and not a whole lot else. I felt heat build in my stomach and immediately unfastened the breeches I had been wearing, shucking my own robes as well. Amala doffed her silk robe, revealing her perfect breasts crowned with already stiff, chocolate-colored nipples. Her robe slid down her body, revealing her toned stomach, then the thatch of dark hair above her already moist lips, and I shucked my loincloth.

My spear came free, all of eight inches, ready to go as a growl built up in my throat at the sight. Amala lay back on the bed, spreading her legs, and that growl went from subvocal to audible in an instant. She gave me a crooked grin as she lay back on her elbows, looking over at me from her position on the edge of the bed.

"Come here. Let me show you how grateful I am that you've helped our village so." She smirked.

I rushed forward, brushing my hand down to her leg and slipping a finger in, then two. She was already wet enough for that, but a little foreplay never hurt, or at least that was the thought in my Mead and Lust-addled mind at the time. I began rubbing her with the palm of my hand, even as my fingers slid in and out of her, grinding the heel of my palm against her clit as I did so. It wasn't long before she tensed up, clearly having an orgasm just from the foreplay. She had to stifle a moan by biting down on her hand, something which clearly made her even more excited, judging from the gushing intensity around my fingers. That was kinky, the bit of pain adding some spice, but I wasn't about to try anything more without verbal consent. Regardless, once her orgasm subsided, I knew it was time.

Now that she was ready, I thrust into her with a throaty growl, picking up speed over the course of the next few minutes as I began to saw in and out of her. At the ten-minute mark, we had gone from the slow tempo of ocean waves to a jackhammer rhythm. By the twelve-minute mark, she constricted around me again, and I felt myself nearing release as well. I tried to hold off as best I could, but the tightness, wetness, and warmth of her multiply-orgasmic slit made that a difficult prospect. At thirteen minutes and ten seconds, I was forced to pull out, spurting my load all over her toned stomach before collapsing into bed alongside her, my own orgasm and all the wine making me feel drowsy.

We held each other close like that, cuddled up as she turned her peach-shaped ass and toned back into me, effectively becoming the little spoon to my big spoon. Before I drifted off to sleep with Amala in my arms like that, she murmured out something I hadn't expected to hear, given my track record and the few short times we had been intimate.

"Come back alive." She murmured.

I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the nape of her neck, but as I did, I realized she had fallen asleep, softly snoring. It was adorable in its own way, and I kissed the nape of her neck before falling asleep myself.

End of NSFW Scene

When I woke the next morning, Amala was gone once again. She was still clearly worried about potential diplomatic consequences if it became known that the Princess of Apsadanam Village wasn't pure as the driven snow for whatever future husband her father managed to arrange for her. I couldn't worry about that, though, as I had to make my way out to the glorified clearing that served as a training field and get the men in order and ready to march out to war. I gave myself a sponge bath using the provided washbasin and towel, dressed in my armor, buckled on my sword, and wolfed down the small plate of dates, cheese, and flatbread that had been left out for me before heading for the training field.

An hour later, the men were all assembled with their gear, packs filled with rations, and ready to march. I took a mental head count and all fifty were present and accounted for, including Darsh, my second-in-command. With that, I gave the order and we marched out, heading North along the Gadah River towards Vipani. When we arrived three days later, it would be to news of the latest battle in the War against the Romaka.

And it would not be as encouraging as I had hoped. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Trito's assault force has been mustered, trained, and equipped, largely thanks to Trito using his powers to supe up their equipment and hasten their training. At the same time, Trito has also used his powers to ensure that Apsadanam Village can prosper even while he's gone, thanks to Skill Cards being pretty OP when it comes to teaching folks skills. Mind you, at the moment, he still can only teach mundane skills, given some of the drawbacks, but for a Village largely still stuck at a Late Bronze Age level of tech and sophistication, that goes a long way.

There is an NSFW part of this chapter. Amala and Trito had sex again as a going-away thing. If that isn't your thing, you can Control F to the bit that says End of NSFW Scene, as I have clearly marked it out.

At any rate, the next chapter will include the arrival at Vipani and Trito hearing news of the latest Battle against the Romaka. The Romaka deployed an unknown Parahuman, and it has folks spooked. I'll also have some more images out afterward.

Stay tuned. . .