Amazon Apocalypse 4: Chapter 6

We returned to the farmhouse for the first time in a while to find it very different from what we remembered. Chest-high walls surrounded our house, and the bottom half of a castle was under construction.

“Don’t look! That’s all supposed to be a surprise for later. We’re just here to use the teleportation array.” I stepped between my companions and the construction work, and for once, they all listened to me and obediently covered their eyes. But I could tell the prospect of a new, much bigger house excited them.

I dropped in with Gobgob and got the latest load of goods. She and the goblins had made many additional weapons and armor. Normally, I’d need to cover myself in fewer bags of holding to carry it all. But with Morgathor’s satchel, I had no problem carrying it all in one go.

Fortunately, the mannequins had already finished constructing most of the teleportation array. I’d marked it as a high-priority job, so I wasn’t surprised. I hadn’t wanted to be out of touch with Cyra for long.

“Are we already in Valkyrie’s Watch? When did that happen?” Myrina asked when she opened her eyes.

I chuckled. “Not yet, Myrina. But if this room looks similar, that’s by design. I copied what you guys had going on over there. Remember when I promised Sakura to move the teleportation array over? Well, I finally got around to it.”

Sakura wrapped an arm around my waist. “It makes me happy to know you think of me now and again.”

I chuckled. “Trust me. I think of you ladies a lot more often than now and again. Come on, let’s go to Themyscira.”

Once the signal went through to Thulga, the teleportation array activated, and we arrived in a very similar-looking room in Themyscira. Now that I saw the two, one right after the other, I realized my copy was a bit bigger than the original.

Guards greeted us for the first time in a while, proving that Cyra was putting her lands back in order after two rebellions in a row. Things had really been rough for the Samhain lands lately, but now Cyra’s position as matriarch was finally secure. At this point, she’d consolidated power to where there wasn’t anyone who could challenge her. And her grasp on leadership would only grow stronger as she gained levels and tightened diplomatic ties. Perhaps I ought to invest in Valkyrie’s Watch myself, considering it was likely due for a lengthy period of prosperity after the recent wars.

“You girls can go on ahead to Valkyrie’s Watch. I need to drop off the usual delivery to Galbatorix.” I waved my companions off. They departed, Myrina skipping down the road to her childhood home.

I walked the familiar path to Galbatorix’s shop, dodging around all the debris in the road and the burned-out shells of homes and shops. This place had even more need of a repair crew than Crownhill. Maybe once my small army of remotely piloted construction equipment was done working around my farmhouse, I’d send them here.

The door swung open to Galbatorix’s shop, and I found the old wizard looking exactly the same as when I first met him. He sat behind his desk with a book over his face as he leaned back in his chair.

“Ahem. I’ve got another delivery.” I said as I rapped on the door.

Galbatorix sat up abruptly. “Ah, Carter, lad! Glad to see you again. And doubly glad to get more materials. You know, the more of these things I pass around the lodge, the more people want them. A few artificers have already invented new devices that only function with the incredible quality metal and gems only you can provide.”

I chuckled. “No need to sweet talk me. Not after sending Reluna and all those other apprentices my way. They were a big help. If I wasn’t sure about you guys before, I am now.”

Galbatorix’s eyes sparkled. “Good. Good! Reluna, by the way, did she arrive at your home safely?”

I nodded. “She did. And she warned me. Something about a soul sacrifice and that you guys would be looking out for me. I appreciate that, truly.”

Galbatorix stroked his beard fondly. “Before, you mentioned seeing deeper relations with us. Things are finally moving in the bowels of bureaucracy, and if you still hold goodwill for us, I can nudge things a bit in the right direction.”

“Definitely. What did you have in mind?”

His lips quirked up into a smile. “An invitation to the world of Glacia. The emperor is one of our oldest members, so the Dragon Lodge has a substantial presence there. It’s one of the few worlds with a direct portal to Raya Mucaria, our school of learning.”

“I think I’m a bit old to go to school, if that’s what you’re offering.”

“Nonsense! You’re never too old for learning. Why, just a month ago, I sat in on a lecture given by a woman half my age.” Galbatorix waved my concerns away. “But there are lots of spellbooks available at the Raya Mucaria that you won’t find anywhere else in the Arcadia multiverse. There are also a lot of trained professionals capable of giving advice on even the most obscure classes. Either of those might be interesting to you, yes?”

I held up his hand. “You had me at skillbooks. Glacia, you said this place was?”

Galbatorix nodded and reached into his robes. “The arrays are secure. You’ll need this to get through security. It was just delivered this morning.”

Galbatorix handed me a small metal card. I sensed a distinct impression of my mana on it, much like a signature. It took me a moment to realize what it was.

“So this is what the Arcadia Multiverse uses as passports?” I toyed with the card a bit.

“The security here on Themyscira is extremely lax by the standards of established worlds.” Galbatorix shrugged. “Any world with wealth and A-Grades tends to have tighter security. Your Samhain Clan companions should have their own passes, though you’ll need to arrange for those other ladies if you want them to come with you.”

“You think Glacia would have a better selection of skill books for a berserker and a huntress?” I asked.

“Think? No, I know it’s so. Themyscira is a fine place to be from, as far as the Arcadia Multiverse is concerned. But it’s not exactly the wealthiest world. The same is not true for Glacia. By the nature of what we can do, most mages are far wealthier than their warrior peers. Likewise, worlds of magic are wealthier than worlds of warriors. You will all have a far easier time finding skills and abilities there than here, assuming you have the coin. You might even want to bring along your Amazonian companions. They really should have been brought to the place years ago.”

I nodded in understanding. “Thanks. I’ll definitely pay this Glacia place a visit.”

“And Raya Mucaria!” Galbatorix added. “I do think you’ll like it. But do pay a special visit to this shop here. The owner can get you a few rare skill books, though enlisting yourself as a graduate student at the academy would also help.”

He hastily scribbled out an address on a sheet of paper. I glanced at the paper before tossing it in Morgathor’s satchel.

“Thanks again. I’ll check in on this place and tell them you sent me!”

Galbatorix chuckled. “Oh, they’ll know. Don’t worry. Now, enough tongue-wagging with this old man. I think you have a much cuter matriarch who’s been awaiting your return!”

***

The main keep of Valkyrie’s Watch was fully staffed once more. Some guards were new, but those who were familiar all felt a bit more imposing than I remembered. Whereas before a high-ranking guard might have been somewhere in the sixties, now that bar had been raised to something near the eighties.

While the last two wars hadn’t been too good for the Samhain Clan overall, some small number of warriors under their banner had gained a tremendous number of levels.

“You’re looking good,” I chuckled as I saw a familiar large Amazonian guard. I didn’t remember her name, but she’d handed me a drinking flask during one of my early feasts here.

“Sir Carter, it’s good to see you. Lady Myrina told us to expect your arrival after you finish your city business.” The guard nodded in appreciation. “And yes, it feels good to gain levels again. I stalled out decades ago when I ran out of foes to fight. Now, maybe there’s some hope of me reaching C-Grade!”

“One or two more wars, and it’ll happen,” I chuckled.

“Aye, but all the same, I wish for peace in these lands. Perhaps I’ll do a dungeon run twice yearly, though. Matriarch Cyra’s got clan elder positions to fill, after all. She could use a few more C-Grades.”

The guard let me through, and I got a better look at the damage to the Samhain family castle. The outer walls were pretty thoroughly trashed, but hordes of undead throwing themselves at your defenses did that. The boiling oil hadn’t helped either. When the defenders on the walls lit it up, some of the old stones had exploded from the heat.

In short, it was going to take a lot of work to get this place looking proper again. The only workers I’d seen so far had been fixing the streets and homes, so Cyra likely thought the public works were more important than the castle’s defenses.

I heard tremendous clanging interspersed with occasional fits of giggles and knew that could only be my companions. I followed the noise and found my feet pointed toward the sparring ring. Sure enough, I was treading over barren sandy soil as I approached my companions, each of them practicing with wooden weapons.

Myrina and Cyra sparred on one end of the arena, while Sakura and Bridget faced off against one another on the other side.

Myrina was clearly outmatched against her older sister. They might both be C-Grade now, but Cyra was simply a bit more skillful than her younger sister. Cyra knew where to place her sword to block Myrina’s incoming blow and turn it against her. As I watched, Cyra twisted Myrina’s blade from her hand and sent it hurtling into the sand. From the pout on Myrina’s face, this wasn’t the first time Cyra had managed the feat.

Across the way, Sakura and Bridget were battling at a slower pace, and it wasn’t clear who was winning. Sakura rushed forward with wild and deadly swings, but Bridget was fast and nimble as she slipped by each one of them to jab at Sakura’s side or back with the point of a dagger.

I took a seat on the stands, studying my companions for a while. We fought as a team quite often, so I needed to understand their abilities and my own. Besides, if what Galbatorix said was right about finding more skill books for them on Glacia, then I would need to know what they needed. At least until I figured out how to get interplanetary passports for them.

Eventually, Cyra noticed me watching and stopped her sparring match.

“You haven’t beaten me yet!” Myrina protested as she waved her practice sword.

“You can’t rely on drawing out the fight to get your legendary skill to close the gap, little sis.” Cyra waved her sister off.

“Aww... I was almost there!” Myrina grumbled.

“In a real fight, I would have already killed you six times. Come on, Carter’s here. Let’s not keep him waiting.” Cyra gestured in my direction.

Myrina and Cyra walked over to me, and I jumped from the seats surrounding the sparring ring and walked over to meet them halfway.

Cyra stepped up before me, looking like she’d had something to say. Myrina butted in first.

“Hey Carter! You here to finally kick Cyra’s ass and claim her for your harem of beautiful and deadly warrior women?” Myrina asked.

Cyra choked, coughing and spluttering, and whatever words she had for me before had suddenly caught in her throat as a red flush covered her cheeks.

I laughed at Myrina’s joke. “Maybe I am!” I chuckled, only to see Cyra’s flushed cheeks deepen.

“I bet you could beat her now!” Myrina leaned forward and cupped her hand, though she made no effort to lower her voice. “Just let me know when. I’ll slip some laxatives into her morning tea the day of the fight.”

Myrina and I laughed, though I felt bad doing so at Cyra’s expense. I shot her a smile to make sure she knew it was all in good fun.

“Ha ha... funny...” Cyra made a weak attempt at joining us.

I turned to her, smiling brightly. “It’s good to see you again, Cyra. It’s a shame you can’t come to Earth yet. Though the fact that the System is letting Myrina come back and forth means that day is soon.”

Cyra nodded, regaining her usual composure now that we were back to serious subjects.

“As I understand it, the System ensures that the local factions are always the most powerful. This prevents outsiders like us from showing up and turning the locals into puppets. However, many still find a way around the System’s protections. Since I’m a faction leader, the restrictions are doubly tight on me. Still, there are--“

I waved my hands and interrupted her. “Cyra, you’ve got enough on your plate already. Don’t take my problems on too. In fact, the whole reason I’m here is because I wanted to help you. Tell me what’s wrong here in the lands of the Samhain Clan. After things are running smoothly, then I let you help me.”

Cyra’s cheeks flushed again, though I’d said nothing to embarrass her this time.

“Well... alright. I’ll gladly accept your help, Carter. First of all...”