When Hecate met Xander 2
Disclaimer: I still don't own BTVS, Fimbulwinter, or any Greek gods.
Author's Note: My Beta reader isn't feeling well so this is edited only by me.
Chapter Two
As Xander started experimenting with making a sled he noticed he was getting tired and low on mana. He could use flesh sorcery to deal with the tiredness but that would require more mana.
"Can I create a mana battery or something?" He asked himself. He searched through the magic he had acquired while traveling and found that thinking about what magic and what kinds would be best had given him mana sorcery. "It seems I can make a mana battery. Now let's see what precious metals are available in the area." He looked around with his new senses then pulled some silver from the ground and fashioned it into a ring. Using mana sorcery he fiddled with it until he got it to turn atoms of silver into mana and feed it to him at a measured rate.
Once he had banished his tiredness he built a large metal sled that floated above the snow. It was narrow enough to fit down the path through the forest but long enough to carry a lot of supplies. He spent the next few hours working on anchoring a warming effect to the inside of the sled. "Now, I need a windshield," he said to himself. He created a transparent quartz windshield to protect passengers from the wind. Then he went inside to see if the girls needed help.
The girls had gathered everything they wanted near the door and Avila was cooking food to take with them.
"We have a lot but most of it won't travel well," Avila said. "Things like eggs, butter, and raw meat. If I can get it turned into bread, meat pies, sausage rolls and other food that we can stuff in a sack and carry, we'll have fewer worries as we travel."
"True," Xander said. "I can sense precious metals and pull them from the ground to pay for things but that won't help if there aren't any nearby. Besides, having a store of food is a good idea regardless." He moved to the pile by the door, "I'll start carrying things out to the sled while you work."
"I'm no good in the kitchen," Cerise said. "So I'll help you carry stuff. Besides, I'm curious as to what you made."
While Avila baked and cooked, the other two carried supplies to the sled.
"I'm impressed you managed this in so short a time," Cerise said. "Are you planning on summoning something to pull it or is it going to grow legs and walk?"
"Neither," he replied. "It's going to move by sorcery."
"You're going to get tired fast if you have to keep using spells to push it," Cerise stated.
Xander stopped, "True enough. Let me think for a minute." He didn't want to summon anything, that never seemed to go well. He could create another mana battery to power a spell but it would have to be something well thought out. He could easily see something like a simple force spell going wrong and causing a wreck and possible injuries.
"I'll go get more supplies while you work on propulsion," Cerise said. "If it comes down to it then we can take turns casting spells but neither Avila nor I have as much power as you do so it would be mostly you."
"Understood," Xander said. "I was thinking we would sleep in shifts so someone was always awake but controls usable but any of us would help." He wouldn't need mechanical linkages, just enchantments and mana sorcery should help with that. He would use his force or gravity sorcery to propel it as well as lift it. He concentrated and two different runes appeared on the front panel under the windshield. One in green to start it and one in red to stop it. "Now do I want a joystick or a steering wheel?" he muttered to himself. He eventually created a steering wheel and linked it to a short rod on a pivot. The force would come from the rod which was powered by the same thing as his ring and the wheel would be used to point it. It might be a little tricky to learn but he was sure they would get the hang of it.
When Cerise came back with more stuff he explained it to her, "So do you think you could learn it?"
"Sure, it sounds simple enough," Cerise said. "Eventually we'll need to add runes to keep out thieves but that can wait. We really do need to get going and we're not going to be far from it until we reach a town anyway."
Once Avila was done cooking they started off. As they drove through the forest they heard wolf howls and curses. Xander raised a shield over them just in time to stop several arrows, "If either of you can speed us up that would be helpful."
"I don't think I can improve on our speed," Cerise said. "But I should be able to take down a few attackers." She spoke in Greek and gestured and shadows leaped from her hand towards the forest where the arrows were coming from. A few screams came from the forest and the number of arrows hitting the shield diminished.
"Thanks," Xander said. "I can keep the shield up and drive if you can handle offense."
"I can do that," Cerise said. "Honeydew, keep an eye out and let me know if you see anyone I missed."
"Certainly dear," Avila said. "I believe all the goblins are on our left. They are riding wolves and have ridden ahead of the trolls and shamans to try and delay us."
Xander smiled, "But they didn't expect us to be sledding by at around 20 mph I guess."
"They will eventually catch up if we stop short of town though," Avila said. "So let's just keep going."
"We can bypass the first town and just keep going," Xander said. "We seem to have enough food for two weeks so we can spend a few days opening our lead."
That was going to be the plan until Avila's magical senses detected goblins attacking a group of humans up ahead, "Are we going past or are we stopping to help?" Avila asked.
"We'll help if possible," Xander said. "I don't want to leave anyone for the goblins but if there are too many we will have to do a hit and run."
"Understood," said both women.
"I've managed to anchor the shield to the sled and give it a mana battery to charge from so I'll be able to help too," Xander said.
When they reached the clearing they saw a circle of men in chainmail with helmets and shields surrounding a group of women and a few injured men. The men were surrounded in turn by goblins.
"The goblins can't get too close but the men can't leave. The humans are going to get tired eventually or one of the goblin mages will show up to break the stalemate," Xander said.
"So let's break the stalemate ourselves," Cerise said.
"I agree," Xander said. He started throwing fire and Cerise started throwing shadow bolts.
Avila said, "I don't sense anyone else nearby. If we can win quickly we can avoid the shamans and trolls."
Soon all the goblins were dead and Xander said, "Okay, you should be good to go now so we'll be on our way."
"Wait!" One of the men said. "Can you escort these refugees to the nearest town?"
"No," Cerise said. "We aren't stopping at the nearest town and they couldn't keep up."
"We might be able to but why can't you?" Xander said. "If we all left together then we would all be safer, you included, right?"
"We're the fifth Marigold," one said. "Our captain is too injured to move so we're going to stick around and do what we can."
"So you're working for the local lord?" Xander asked.
"Yes, under contract," the man replied. "Do you know any healing magics? And how much do you charge for them?"
"I can heal but I guess I should discuss the price with your captain," Xander said. "I think I might want services rather than coins."
"What manner of services?" the man asked. "I'm his second in command."
"Escort mostly," Xander said. "Safety in numbers."
"Well, if you've enough coins you could buy out our contract with the Baron," the man said. "I don't think he'll let us go otherwise."
"I guess I'll have to discuss that with him then," Xander said. "Where's your Captain? Let me get started on healing him."
The captain turned out to have broken ribs and a punctured lung. Xander started healing him and Cerise and Avila watched his back as he concentrated.
A woman thanked him profusely as he worked, "Oh, thank lord wizard! I'm sure he'll reward you for saving his life. A thousand thanks and if I can help in this you have but to ask."
"No help needed," Xander replied absently. "I'm good."
Once he was healed the captain, Marcus Rain, thanked Xander, "I thank you for the healing good sir mage. It is likely you saved my life. How can I repay you?"
"You and your men can escort us to the nearest town," Xander said. "I would also want to see about buying your contract from the local lord. I plan to go much further south with my two apprentices and we could use a well trained mercenary company."
"I will gladly escort you to the town," Captain Rain said. "I cannot say how much the Baron will ask for our contract but he is unhappy with our service of late so remember that." Rain shrugged, "Going south might be a good idea but I don't know how far this unnatural weather stretches."
Xander shrugged back, "I'm sure we'll find warmer weather somewhere if we keep going long enough. If it gets too bad to continue I can use magic to create a shelter."
Rain nodded and stood, "Well enough. I'd better get the men organized."
"Can you make more of the sleds?" Avila asked. "If not, it will slow us greatly."
"Good point," Xander said. He pulled a sausage roll from his pack, "Let me just eat something then I'll start creating. Can you ladies start talking to the refugees? I trust Rain to motivate his men but the others might be scared of riding in a magic sled."
Cerise snorted, "If they want to fall behind and get eaten by wolves that's their problem."
"Oh, you don't mean that," Avila said. "We'll do our best to get them ready. I think we'll stick with your story to Rain. We're your apprentices and we're heading south to avoid the worst of the weather and hopefully the worst of the fighting too."
"Yeah, so don't be surprised if we start calling you Milord or Lord Xander," Cerise said. "It's normal usage around here. You'll get taken more seriously if we say you're the son of a noble and you should be able to pull that off with your height, strength, and skill at arms. You might also wish to pull what precious metal there is to be found out of the ground on the way. The Baron is a greedy slob who will soak you for as much as he can get in silver, gold, or mithril."
"Mithril?" Xander asked.
"Don't they have it where you come from?" Cerise asked. "If we spot any I'll point it out to you."
"Thanks," Xander said. He finished the roll then left the tent. "Captain Rain, I think I had better make a few copies of my transport so we can move people faster."
"If you can, that would be wonderful, lord wizard," Captain Rain replied.
Xander moved downstream a bit then started pulling iron out of the ground and shaping it. He used the silver mana battery to draw a continuous stream of magic into his system and made more sleds. It went faster since he had already discovered what worked. He made the new ones as wide as the wagons the mercenaries had with them which allowed them to carry more people. He managed to make four by the time everyone was ready to move out again.
Cerise said, "Can you make theft proof?"
Xander thought about that for a minute, "I can make them follow us but that will get awkward at times. I'd rather just deal with it as it arises."
She shrugged, "They're yours so it's your call."
"I'll keep it in mind and if I think of a good way to do it I'll add that later," Xander said. "For now let's get going."
