Empress of Fire

Chapter 102: Dark Metal

I stood at the rear of the manor, watching 29 people, who were split into several groups, stand at attention. The first were the fighting men; Ben stood up front in plate armor. Behind him stood Leaf, Nihl, Bean, Tin, Hugh, and Lester, one of the cartwright’s sons. They would be our primary guards or, more accurately, more meaty shields between an enemy and me. The rest wore a combination of steel, leather, and cloth armor.

To the right of them was Corina, standing in front of thirteen half-burnt, only recently washed and fed women, who happened to be former prisoners. They looked terrified and relieved in equal measure, though a few within their ranks had eyes filled with determination. Currently, they wore whatever decent dresses could be found in town. To the right of this group were Nubin, the large cartwright; his equally rotund wife, Ester, and his other son, Auron. Other members of the general staff were Nadine and Lira, the mother-daughter pair who would take up cooking for the camp. The last were Morianne, Elias, and Meave.

Behind me were Anicia, Julia, Edine, and Michael, who were my personal support staff. It was hot, and the air was sweltering. I used some magic to drop the temperature of the air for the entire group to a comfortable level and to demonstrate some simple magic.

“My name is Myr; yes, I am a magus, and yes, I am the maiden of fire.” There were a few intakes of breath, but it wasn't as shocking as it otherwise would have been since practically everyone knew I was a magus at this point. “Some of you were prisoners before, others were orphans, and some were just desperate. I took you in not for charity but because every one of you has potential, whether you know it or not.” I paused, examined their doubtful glances for a bit, then continued. “You think you are incapable of greatness. This is false. I was born a peasant with no name, no family, yet…” I raised a hand, and flames shot up out of my palm. “Look at the power I wield. There is no such thing as impossible. If you are willing to put in the effort, you can find your own glory and purpose.”

Walking forward, I stood in front of the fourteen women. “You are scared for the future. I can understand that, but I'm sure those of you who have spoken to my people know what I do for those whom I consider my own. You, with dedication, can also become mine. You may bear some resentment for my connection with Cramer, and that is fair. I am a woman who believes in giving people choice. So, if this is unbearable for you and you are incapable of looking past my connection to him, then I offer you a choice.”

Anicia stepped forward and opened a small wooden box containing thirty-one golden royals. “If you do not wish to serve me, then you may take a golden royal and leave without any consequences.”

“You aren't lyin’?” Hugh asked. I looked at Meave’s cousin; he looked nothing like her. His hair was darker, and his eyes were a bright blue.

“Why do I want people at my side who weren't there by choice? Take a coin, and you may leave freely.” This was mostly for the fourteen women. Everyone else had a firm role, received their commission, and was already settling. Especially Nubin, who was in the middle of preparing all eleven of my carts for travel.

One woman stepped forward, her golden hair looking frazzled and her skin bronzed from long exposure to the sun. She was unable to meet my eyes, but she reached for a coin and hesitantly walked toward the rear exit. She kept glancing back until a sigh of relief left her.

Then three more women came forward, taking coins and leaving. Some bowed; some voiced gratitude. The last one, a short waif of a girl with finger-length brown hair, stopped halfway and then ran back towards me, met my eyes with her amber orbs, and asked, seemingly without fear.

“We get them magic crossbows?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Wut else?”

“I intend to have you all trained as mounted crossbow women.” I thought on the spot. “You will be able to ride, load a bolt, and fire accurately into my enemies or in defense of yourself."

"What's the pay?” She asked.

“Two eagles a week.”

“That comes with commission?”

“You get a sand steed, armor, and magical weapons. Fair?” Taking a bow, she placed the royal back into the box and said. “At yer service, milady.”

“What is your name?”

“Nettie”

“Welcome, Nettie.”

I threw a glance at Corina, who nodded in return.

“And now, as of this moment, you are all under my command. You will enjoy all that entails. I'm sure most of you have seen them at work. Remember who you represent, since you are all now under my banner. That means conducting yourself properly. I will, under no circumstances, tolerate disloyalty or any attempt to disrupt or hinder operations. Conversely, those of you who show initiative, who demonstrate dependability, will receive great rewards. Leaf will be in command of the front-line fighters; Corina will take charge of the crossbowwomen, and finally, Nubin will be in charge of managing the carriages, general health, welfare, and keeping us mobile. All budgetary requests must be submitted to Lady Anicia and finally approved by me… You are dismissed."

~

I sat in my room, over an extensive list of twenty-seven people, excluding Corina and Anicia. It included their names, descriptions, pay, position, date of employment, family history, date of birth, crimes, and any other minor information that could be identified. All was recorded along with simple contracts from a local magistrate. Those who couldn't write were required to place a thumbprint.

The constant cracking sound from the women practicing with crossbows from the rear of the manor was annoying but necessary. Corina was working with Leaf to create a fighting force of both proper ranged and melee fighters. I left organizing and planning combat to someone with experience, and I simply allotted them a massive budget.

Anicia was responsible for monitoring the training, allotting funds, approving payment, and distributing magical items as needed. Michael alone was responsible for my carriage, along with his wife and daughter, who were my exclusive servants. This meant that, at the very least, my food wouldn't be tampered with. After days of preparation, we were finally ready to depart.

~

My train of eleven carriages rolled out of town. Two transports were filled with people; they were covered, and since every carriage had water generators, the air around us, even in the near-blinding sun, was pleasantly cool. An entire large carriage was for horse feed; another contained several large chests filled with frozen meat and produce. I rode in the middle of the formation; Cramer and his men were even further ahead. We headed directly south, cutting through the wastes. With generators, it was pointless to follow the normal travel routes. One of the manor houses had a decent carriage with proper seats and a window, which I commandeered.

I relaxed in my seat as we rolled along the dirt road. Dozens of carriages, horses, and people made a lot of noise. I placed a small reminder in my mind to develop an arcane circuit to block sound. In some ways, I was rather paranoid about the large number of people I recruited.

Corina wasn't exactly a commander of any sort, and since Ben was an idiot, I had no choice but to put someone else in command. Leaf wasn't exactly a trusted companion yet, so I delegated even further. Monitoring their actions and searching for betrayers was given to Anicia. She, at the very least, could be trusted since her affection for me was rather obvious.

~

Evening came rather quickly, and I sat in my carriage, waiting for my accommodations to be arranged. It took almost an hour before Julia came knocking at my carriage door. Stepping out, I observed the camp. We parked on the south side of a wide dirt road. For miles around us was nothing other than sun-baked earth.

The carriages were arranged in a loose circle, with my tent at the center. A large stockpot was in the middle of a rolling boil, currently being stirred by a thin woman; next to her, a young girl, with the same brown hair and waif-like appearance, added odd cuts of meat. A thick stew with meat, random vegetables, and hardtack to fill the stomach was still a luxury in the eyes of most peasants. Almost any cut of meat, regardless of toughness, was easily enjoyable if cooked long enough with salt and spices.

On the south side of the camp, beyond the wall of carriages, the fighters were still practicing. Unsure women shot crossbow bolts into wooden boards while Nihl and Leaf were instructing Ben and the rest through odd sword sequences. For one reason or another, Leaf kept shaking his head.

Nubin the cartwright and his son, Auron, a stick-thin lad with a bald head, were tending to the carriages and horses. Twenty lanterns on tall poles were spread through the camp, lighting the area rather brightly. There was a scattering of tents, some large, some small.

Every time someone met my eyes, they either looked away quickly or awkwardly tried to bow. My tent was, of course, the largest, towering over the rest. Inside was a proper bed, desk, chairs, and a table for eating. Micheal and Julia alone were responsible for my accommodations.

“Your meal should be ready soon, milady," Julia said. Next to my tent was Julia and Michael's own tent, which they shared with their daughter. As my personal attendant, I had her dress in expensive-looking clothing, and she was allowed to eat from my personal stores. All in all, they did less work and earned more coin than everyone else.

"What am I having for supper?" I asked her.

“Some roasted lamb, oat pottage with fresh milk, and I cooked up some potatoes like you like ‘em," she said. “Ah, and we got some plum wine from the town. It isn't the best, but Lady Anicia said it’s all right enough for ya’.”

I smiled, already anticipating my meal. “Sounds wonderful. And how have you and Edine been getting on? I imagine your current life is quite a change.”

“Aye, I won't lie. It's a hell of a change. But I can’t complain. I thought my husband was a damn fool for agreein’. But time proved him wise, or we was just lucky.”

“I’d say it’s a bit of both. And your daughter?”

“Still as quiet as a temple mouse. Don't cause any trouble, but she puts away food like no one's business. She might have to slow down; she gettin’ too plump.”

“A little extra meat on one's bones is never a bad thing.”

We entered my tent just as Michael finished pouring water into my bath. “Just finished up, milady.”

I nodded to him, and then he left. “What are your plans for the future, Julia?”

"Don't rightly know. Gonna have to ask muh husband.”

Knowing her husband's thoughts on the subject, I suggested, “If you’re willing, I’d be more than happy to have your service be permanent. I plan to travel for some time, but eventually I’ll settle down. I’m sure you've noticed that I like living well, so I’ll probably purchase a large manor or buy the land rights to a keep. Dutiful and trusted servants are worth their weight in gold, and you've all proven to be exactly what I need. For that matter, I'll likely need more servants in the future. I'm sure you can think of women among your family and friends who would be suitable. Though I’ll have to put you in charge of them. Michael can handle the more physical labor, tending to my mounts, carriage, magical tools, and such. If he can find some trustworthy, strong-backed men for the labor, I’d also approve."

To my surprise, Julia brushed an errant brown lock away from her face, revealing she was actually blushing. There was a bit of eagerness and a hint of relief in her expression. “I’ll speak to Michael."

~

Though Julia's cooking still needed work to suit a noble's palate, decently cooked, seasoned meat was always a delicacy. I resolved to find an eatery once we reached the capital and to have her and her daughter learn from a professional.

After a long soak, the sun had set, and camp was calming down. I lounged in a cushioned chair doing some leisure reading. Surprisingly, Ben purchased me a gift. It was a book, old and tattered, but the contents were fascinating.

It was called ‘Of Cogs and Gears.' It was only thirty pages long but had detailed drawings of various mechanisms, like a water wheel. It showed how gears connected and how rotational energy was transferred. It also demonstrated that a reduction gear increased rotational speed, and an increase in the gear produced greater torque. None of it was new; I'd seen gears and such in one form or another. But it was interesting to learn in detail.

However, at the end of the book was a drawing I’d never seen before.

It was simple: an outer ring and an inner ring with balls between them. Unlike all the other drawings, it lacked details or an explanation, as if the creator of the book were just copying something from memory. I couldn't make heads or tails of it for long minutes until I realized that I was looking at some kind of bearing.

‘Fascinating. If an axle were housed in the inner ring and the balls were all the same size and lubricated, then the rotation would be rather smooth. Make it all out of steel and…water wheels, windmills…so many uses.’

I immediately thought of my carriage and then the metal carriages I had seen at Greystone. Before I could even begin to truly experiment, I was interrupted. “Milady… Morianne would like to speak to you.”

Looking up from my dining table, I nodded to Julia. A few seconds later, in walked Morianne. The old woman, unlike most of my attendants, didn't elect to wear any finery, sticking to simple dresses. Perhaps she was too old and world-weary to have much interest in such things. I gestured to the chair across from me for her to sit.

“What is it, Morianne?"

After taking the offered seat, she spoke, “Meave…I’ve come to report on her progress.” I nodded for her to continue. “She’s learning quickly. She’s eager to learn; I think by the end of our contract, she will be suitable to replace me. But things like healing are an art. One should spend their entire life mastering it. It would be prudent to find resources for her to learn from after my departure.”

“That is good news. Anything else?”

Morianne paused. The old woman seemed unsure of herself, and then, with a deep breath, she spoke.

“I believe I know what you are doing,” Moriannse said.

Though she remained neutral and pleasant as soon as the words left her mouth, I began contemplating her death. “And what would that be?”

“Building an army.”

I smirked and chuckled under my breath. “That much is obvious. I am a young, beautiful magus traveling through dangerous lands. Of course, I would need a significant guard force. And I most certainly will not allow myself to live in squalor.”

“But there is more, isn't there? I’ve lived through several wars and seen commanders both competent and worthless. The best know how to treat the men under them. You do as they do. Currying favor, building loyalty. As your numbers swell, so too will your power."

“And you believe that I must be gathering that power for a reason beyond safety. And what would that reason be?”

“There aren't many uses for an army. Defense or conquest.”

I chuckled, my smile bright and warm. It seemed to settle her. “You are right in a way. I plan to settle down in the wastes eventually. Far from the empire, far from conflict, I have no doubt the desert kings would welcome me. In Greystone, a city in the empire, they use a system of magical lights.” I pointed at the lantern hanging from a pole in the center of my tent. “Thousands of them spread out across an entire city. Building and maintaining that requires significant resources. Can you imagine how much iron needs to be mined or bought from neighboring lands? Who will guard the transports, my walls, or other large-scale magical constructs?”

Morianne nodded along as I spoke, my words seeming to pierce the veil of her suspicion. “These people…they trust in you.”

“I know. “I said, feigning warmth. ”And they will be armed and armored with my power. And if I must spill blood to keep what is mine safe, I will."

“I see,” Moriannse said, smiling. “They are good people. I hope you will give them a good life."

“I shall endeavor to. Now tell me, have you come up with any interesting applications for magic?"

Her brows rose. “Actually, there are a few things that could help. Though I’m not sure if magic can do it.”

~

Moiranne left my tent, and my warm smile melted away to cold apathy. Anicia walked in a few minutes later and asked, “Your talk with Morianne went well?”

“Indeed, she was suspicious about my intentions.”

“You think she figured it out."

I shook my head. “No. And I'm sure I gave her an acceptable reason. However, what if she begins to form other theories and poisons the minds of others?”

“That would be a problem. We're at a stage where any ounce of suspicion could cause people to doubt you.”

“That is exactly why I want you to watch her. If any word out of her mouth could spread dissent among my recruits. Then there is only one way to deal with her.”

Aniica smiled at me, looking excited. “If it comes to that, I’ll make sure she’s buried deep. Her husband has to go too.”

I returned to my seat, resolving to leave the matter to Anicia.

“Also, I’ve been thinking,” she said. “We need spies, people who can get their hands dirty. Who aren't squeamish.”

“Agreed, but that is a difficult task. If you believe you can create such a group, then I'll give you the coin and authority."

Anicia’s brows rose; perhaps she thought I would be more hesitant. With an overly elegant bow, Anicia said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

~

Anicia left after a quarter hour of discussing how to create this group. Hours passed, and I worked well into the night. With blessed solitude, I continued to work. Energy generation had been a problem for me for some time. And carrying a wagonload of fuel for my energy furnace can be rather cumbersome. As we traveled, I continued to test different arcane formulas.

Working with the veil pulled back made creating new arcane formulas practically instinctive. Creating a formula for absorbing rotational energy only took a day, whereas after three weeks of working from the moment I discovered light was a wave, I had success.

First, I created an arcane circuit that would convert the energy within the waves of light into primal energy on a piece of parchment, thus decreasing its amplitude. This failed only partially; the binding succeeded, but the circuit did nothing. Then I spent an entire week trying to understand what actually happens to light when energy is removed. There had to be something other than dimming that I missed.

The answer was rather obvious, in retrospect; after all, we see it every day, the sunset. Why did the sky turn from blue to reds and purples, then pink? Less sunlight, less energy, so light shifts to red. In fact, if I modified the tone component of the circuit that produces light, I could generate different colors. What came as a surprise was that I could decrease the tone, and the light would disappear.

In one experiment, I decreased the tone until the light disappeared and increased the power. I nearly had a heart attack when I felt warmth coming from a circuit that was seemingly producing no light.

My mind immediately went back to warnings about how deadly enchanting could be and the heating of the body being a warning sign. This led to two conclusions: the invisible waves of death produced by failed enchanting were possibly this invisible light, though I couldn't be sure.

After some contemplation, the terror faded, since it was only for a few seconds and nowhere near the energy levels required for enchantment. In fact, this proved that the sun also produced a similar invisible light, since I never felt the same warmth from any other color. Though I still resolved to never create that invisible light again until I could test its deadliness.

So after testing, I recreated the arcane circuit by drawing it on a piece of parchment. It led to more failures until I changed how the circuit absorbed light; instead of absorbing it from the air, I absorbed it from the material itself. I presumed I could absorb a portion of the energy from the light wave the instant it was reflected from the surface of the parchment. And that produced brilliant success.

Accounting for the drop in power, the changes in color, and only absorbing light at the instant of reflection, resulted in the parchment turning from white to a dull gray. After trying it with a circular sheet of metal, the results were even better. The metal itself turned a dull grey. I expected it to turn an uncanny black, but even as I pushed the binding to its full strength, the metal still reflected light. I could even see my face on the polished steel. The energy produced was pitiful, but it was only converting the light from my lantern, not the sun, and the metal circle was only six inches across.

I stared at my ink-black eyes and said to my reflection, “I’m still missing something." After several minutes of constantly modulating the binding from full power to almost no power, I mused. “A quarter of the light perhaps…It seems that's all I can absorb. But that’s good enough for now." I looked at myself and looked to the north, the dark steel reminding me of someone. “Your armor isn't black steel, is it, Heywood?"