Chapter 66: Sixty four

Hand shielding my eyes against the harsh sunlight, I exited the building I was in and found myself standing in the center of an oasis. Light glinted off the blue water surrounding the tiny island the building was on, and a dozen large stones were positioned in the water to act as a bridge. 

Glancing behind me at the building I’d just exited, I saw it was made of beautifully carved sandstone, with a massive statue of a howling wolf sitting before a pair of crossed swords situated atop the building's roof. Gazing up at the statue, I’d wager it was thrice as tall as my brother, and it made a very impressive sight. 

“Craftmaster Kadia! She’s back!” 

“Guild Leader, the Kitsune is back!” 

As I walked across the stones away from the entrance to the underground encampment, the sound of loud shouts rang out from dozens of people who’d been near the edge of the water. Lush greenery surrounded the shallow lake, and I saw a few fire berry bushes growing in rows beside a cobbled stone path. 

Is this even the same place as before? I thought in confusion as I turned onto a second path that was boarded by blooming Drakus flowers. None of these buildings or plants were a part of the encampment plans. 

Directly in front of me was a large pavilion style building where I could see the form of a big Minotaur leaning against one of the columns. As I got closer, someone went rushing into the pavilion, and in response Markion jerked around, turning towards me. 

“Kads,” seeing me, my brother ran out of the pavilion and I stopped walking as he approached at high speed. 

“Hey.” I croaked out, my voice coming out raspy and my throat aching from even that short word. 

“Where the fuck have you been? You’ve been gone for days!” Markion yelled, plucking me up into a tight hug before setting me back on my feet. 

Days? I’d thought hours maybe, but not days. I hope Pia isn’t too upset that we missed our rostered spot in the dungeon.

“I was in the encampment.” I responded, searching through the inventory screen of my pouch for a vial of pain relieving tincture which I’d previously mixed with honey. If it works to help soothe a sore throat after inhaling the toxic fumes of a choke bomb, then it should be able to help with my ravaged throat. 

“We looked through the encampment, and checked the revival altar at the settlement. We even sent a message to Noctus through the Whispers guild to see if you’d revived there. You weren’t anywhere,” Markion said, and in response I pointed at the ground. 

“I was in the underground part, plus my team ring should have told you I was alive.” I told him, after downing the vial of the honeyed mixture. 

“Kadia.” 

Looking away from Markion, I saw Darius approaching with Corvus right on his heels. Behind the two of them was a tall red skinned woman, who was close to overtaking the guild leader as she ran towards me with the rest of my team in tow. 

It took awhile for everyone to stop talking over each other with their demands to know where I’d been, and if I was unharmed. Eventually, after a roar from Corvus silenced the group, I was able to explain my side of what had occurred. Once I was finished with my explanation, Darius, Corvus and Markion all left to investigate the underground encampment, whilst I decided to explore the changes aboveground. 

Though, I suspected the only reason my brother left with the other two was because I’d mentioned the large forge when telling the commanders about the completed encampment. 

“So all this was all your patron? Damn foxy, sign me up.” Kip said, looking around with an excited look on his face. 

“I could make a fortune building places like this,” the dwarf continued, and I considered that for a moment, remembering my task to recruit disciples. 

“If you’re serious, then I can teach you the few transmutation circles I know.” I informed the dwarf whose expression changed to one of surprise, before becoming more thoughtful. 

“It’d be handy, making glass orbs and the like, I could make other things with it as well.” He murmured, stroking his mustache. 

“Are you sure you’re alright Kadia?” Rainy asked, her face showing concern and her arms full of a squirming Leonidas. 

“You were screaming so loud it sounded like someone was jamming a spear up your rear.” Pia added, and I scrunched my nose up in disgust at the mental image the Faun's words conjured up. 

Taking Leo from Rainy, I stroked and cuddled the whining cub as he tried to burrow himself into my arms. 

“You lit up like a firefly, and started screaming bloody murder. We thought for sure a mage had attacked you, and were searching for the offender when poof, you disappeared. Then this glowing circle rose from the ground, as it rose higher, the wall and buildings rose up with it.” Kip added, as we walked along the sandstone paths that twisted around the aboveground areas of the encampment. 

The land claimed by the guild was five acres in total, four of those inside the newly formed thirty-foot wall. Along the top of the wall was a covered walkway, which offered protection to the guards that would be tasked with patrolling the wall. 

Outside the wall, there were waist-high stone lamp pillars that ran around our property line. Corvus had been the one to draw those onto the encampment plans, wanting to light up the area surrounding the outside of the wall at night to allow us to see anyone who attempted to approach. 

Inside the encampment were five pavilions, with stone benches and some with forges, none of which had been a part of the guild’s plans for the encampment. As far as I knew, the area inside the wall was intended to be where livestock and edible vegetation would be grown to feed those living in the encampment. 

“Where are the horses?” I asked, as we walked past a pavilion where there appeared to be a sword fighting lesson being held under the supervision of Roderick. 

“The mounts are at the rear of the encampment.” Rainy explained, pointing to a wall that blocked off part of the encampment. 

The wall wasn’t as high as the one surrounding the encampment, but it was high enough that I was unable to see over it. Following the sandstone path that led to the wall, we walked through a wide archway and I saw an open area filled with the same grassy fodder I’d seen in the pens at the old encampment. Horses were spread out through the open space, and along the far wall in the distance I saw several buildings which Rainy informed me were stables. 

“Over there is where Carmen and I are improving the soil to grow more vegetation. Most of what we’ve grown around the oasis is already found in this region, so there wasn’t much that needed to be done to grow those plants.” The Dryad explained, and I nodded before allowing the team to lead the way back through the archway. 

“Can we go look underground now?” Pia whined impatiently, glancing towards the center of the oasis where the towering statue of our guild's insignia could be seen. 

“Nothing was stopping you from going without me,” I told the Faun with amusement, who looked tempted to go running for the entrance, but in the end stayed walking along with the rest of us as we strolled towards the building. 

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As we reached the water's edge, I saw a large crowd had gathered and were talking in low voices as they stared at the building at the center of the shallow lake. The water didn’t look like it would reach beyond my knees, but I didn’t feel inclined to walk through it when I could stay dry by walking across the stone path. 

“No one goes in, guild leader's orders.” A tawny haired man who was standing in front of the stone bridge said as I approached, and I tilted my head in confusion. 

Why would Darius refuse to let anyone inside? 

Several minutes later, and I was done waiting for Darius to show up so I could go inside. I wanted to start setting up my lab, and if what I’d been told was true, I had been unconscious for days. The mere thought of all the wasted time made me feel anxious. I could have spent the last few days working on some of my projects, instead I’d spent it doing nothing. 

“Come on,” I murmured to my team, turning away from the path that led to the front entrance of the underground encampment. 

“This sucks,” Pia complained, crossing her arms over her chest. “We should have gone with the commanders when they went, I doubt they would have stopped us going in then.” 

“Patience Bambi, we’ll be allowed in soon enough.” Kip said, getting a dark glare from Pia in response to his nickname. 

 “Or we could go in now.” I said as I led the group out of the entrance, and walked along the wall towards the back of the encampment from the outside. 

“Secret entrance?” Victoria asked, and I nodded. 

“Exit actually, it was drawn into the plans so Tris should have added it.” 

“Guild leader won’t like you showing us,” the Kijo commented, and I hesitated for a moment, considering that before stopping. 

“I guess you’re right.” I mumbled, turning back the way we’d come with a sigh. 

Finding an empty pavilion, I sat on one of the stone benches and attempted to set Leo on the ground, but he dug his claws into my tunic, refusing to let go. 

“He was really upset when you disappeared,” Rainy said, smiling at the clingy Leosaur I held. “He kept running around the encampment, letting out the cutest little squeaky roars trying to find you. Only once Markion gave him one of your shirts out of your saddlebags did he settle slightly.” 

“Is Zosimos around?” I asked, not having seen the crow. 

“I haven’t seen him since you sent him away from the lab at the settlement.” The Dryad said, and I nodded, not overly concerned. 

The crow was gifted by a god after all, and was a creature who did as he pleased ninety-nine percent of the time. 

By the time Darius and Corvus appeared, nearly two hours had passed, which had me in a less than pleasant mood. In those two hours I could have set up my lab and already be working on my next attempt at creating a fire orb or continuing my experiments with Scorcher venom. 

“I understand that Kadia, but I did not want anyone down there until Corvus and I finished our inspection.” Darius explained in response to my complaints as he took a seat on the stone bench next to me. 

“Can we go in now, then?” Pia asked, looking impatient. 

“Corvus will be addressing the guild to assign tasks, and groups will be led inside one by one to be shown the layout of the encampment. Those assigned to guard duties will be entering first.” The guild leader explained, before informing my team to make their way to the center pavilion where Corvus would be addressing the guild. 

I stayed behind with Darius, and once my team left, the guild leader turned to me with a look of concern in his eyes. 

“Are you suffering any ill effects?” 

“My core is depleted, and feels different somehow, but other than that I’ve only got a sore throat from the screaming.” I informed him.

Darius nodded, reaching out to touch the back of my left hand where it sat on Leo’s back. 

“May I see?” He asked, and I allowed him to raise my hand and turn it over to inspect my palm. 

“I’ve seen mages with enchantments carved into their skin, Noctus among them, but nothing like this.” Darius murmured, tracing a finger over the gold lines and purple gem. 

“Tris called it an upgrade.” I said, repeating the rest of what the god told me as Darius released my hand. 

“We have guild members who are not sworn to a god, I will ask them to..” the guild leader began, but I cut him off. 

“No, I don’t think Trismegistus will accept false followers, and I don’t want to do it that way either. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I will think of something.” 

“I’m sure you will,” Darius agreed with a smile. “But if you need help, all you need to do is ask.” 

I nodded, and glanced out of the pavilion towards the wolf statue that marked the entrance to the underground encampment. 

“Go,” Darius said letting out a chuckle. “Markion is guarding the entrance, and won’t stop you. He is just as keen to get into his new forge as you are for your alchemy lab.” 

When the first word left the guild leader's lips, I leapt to my feet, and dashed away down the sandstone path towards the entrance. My mind filled with a multitude of different things I wanted to do.