Chapter 16
The traders guild was by far the most influential power in Iliasburg. They controlled when the merchants arrived, what they could sell, and even when they could leave. Every single action they took was an action to increase their profit with not a single thought given to the citizens of the city.
Leo, unfortunately, had to learn this the hard way. Developing a higher-quality steel was fine on a small scale. The guild had no problem with Torfi increasing the quality of his goods with the steel they made; it allowed them to tax him more, and in turn, earn more money.
Not only that but the guild demanded he sell what metal he was not using, allowing it to enter the market in its base form. This would have severely cut down the price of his tools and weapons, essentially removing Torfi's expansion potential in favor of 'fairness.'
"I'm not selling the damn metal!" Torfi yelled after slamming his fist down on the guild master's desk.
The guild master sighed before pressing a few fingers against his forehead.
He was a larger man than one would expect, barely fitting in his own chair due to his size. It was clear to Leo that if he grew any fatter he would need to have a carpenter build him a larger chair. Despite his lack of effort toward his health, the man had his hair cleanly cut and there were several gold piercings in his ears, one of which had a slight blue glow.
"You do realize I can't allow this monopoly to stand?" The guild master said slowly, "You already produce more than you can use and it's just going to waste sitting around."
"I have plans to use everything I produce! Other merchants have placed several orders and I need time to get through them all," Torfi said forcefully.
"Torfi, you are only one blacksmith. We would not be having this conversation if you had taken on several apprentices like I asked you to do." The guild master said.
"That's because no kids are willing to work near the forge, don't you think I've tried?" Torfi said.
"That sounds a lot like incompetence on your end," The guild master said with a hint of venom in his voice, "Other blacksmiths in the city have several apprentices, yet here you are ready to throw away something that could change our fate against the monsters."
"Oh, don't you take the moral high ground now!" Torfi yelled while throwing his hands in the air, "You just want more money! We both know those smiths wouldn't be able to make something useful with it if they tried."
"They make plenty of useful things," The guild master raised his hand and started counting, "Like nails, arrowheads, lumber axes, reinforced wheels, hoes. Along with many other items."
"That's because none of them have the skill to make a simple scythe, let alone a sword or suit of armor," Torfi said. "The most they can do is cast metal and grind it down. I've watched them try to shape it and it's a complete waste of resources and time!"
"Their finished products are adequate and in significantly greater numbers, not to mention the merchants have never complained about the quality." The guild master said.
"They don't complain about quality because typical farmers don't notice until their tool breaks," Torfi said, "The merchants want to sell several shitty tools rather than one quality one. They make more money that way and so do you!"
"If you sold the metal to these smiths then the villagers wouldn't have to worry about the quality of their tools." The guild master said.
"If they aren't competent smiths then the tools will still be shitty," Torfi said, "you can't make a quality sword with good metal and a terrible smith. But you can make a quality sword with good metal and a good smith. The metal isn't the problem it's the lack of competence."
"They are fine smiths for what they produce, not only that but I assure you the merchants alter the price based on the quality of the tools," The guild master said, "It is a simple matter. The tools require better base materials and they will in turn become a higher quality, the higher the quality the more we can aid the village folk."
"Torfi's work has always been the best quality in the city and you know this," Leo quickly said, "Even before he started working with the new metal."
"His work has typically been superior to the other smiths, however, it is hard to have a direct judge of quality when the final products aren't the same." The guild master said.
"But you at least see he's the better smith. Why should he have to give up something to make his weapons even more reliable, especially when he's supplying the town guard!" Leo said.
The guild master rubbed his eyes while exhaling deeply, "It is my job to consider how the market may change with new products and new materials. I have to consider where individuals may overlap and where they won't. This is one of those instances where they certainly overlap."
He placed his hands together in front of him, resting them on the desk, "The potential for Torfi to run them out of business is enough for me to take action. That's why I need him to sell the metal, it will keep all the blacksmiths in business and keep the market alive."
Torfi ran his hands through his hair in clear frustration, "I know where you come from, but you aren't understanding what I'm saying. The metal alone won't increase the quality. A bad smith will always make bad tools unless they change their method."
"The materials to make the metal are already rare enough," Leo said, "If we waste any of it in favor of sheer quantity then we won't have enough for more advanced weapons to fight the monsters."
For several moments nobody attempted to talk. The Guild master sat in his seat and looked at Leo and Torfi while they stood in front of him. Leo continued to stare at the guild master, awaiting his response while Torfi did the same.
"How about this, when we have access to a constant supply of these raw materials, then you start selling the metal with no exceptions?" The guild master said, "I can understand the scarcity problem, but that does not diminish my concern over Torfi being the sole owner of this metal."
Leo and Torfi looked at each other sharing a blank stare until Leo lightly nodded his head.
This could work in their favor extremely well. Obtaining a constant supply of Manganese allowed for significantly larger projects.
But then they would need a significantly large supply of coal or potentially oil. Oil seemed out of reach considering they would require refineries and he had absolutely no idea how to make that work. Not to mention prospecting for oil alone was something unheard of.
While coal on the other hand was doable. If they found larger deposits near the surface of the Irina mountains or around the banks of rivers then they could really start to develop Iliasburg. Maybe even the coastline leading up to Iliasport as well.
"On one condition," Torfi said, "The other blacksmiths need to increase the quality of their works, otherwise the valuable material will still go to waste."
The guild master made a humming sound before responding, "Quality assurance making everyone accountable. We'll need to hire someone to ensure that but it can be done. Perhaps retired blacksmiths for inspection."
"Standardized tests," Leo said before Torfi could speak up, "We have to get rid of bias if we actually want the quality to increase. Something like sharpness, durability, how much the metal bends etcetera."
"That could work," Torfi said, "I can try and develop some tests."
"You'll have to come to an agreement with the other blacksmiths on the tests," The guild master said, "I won't allow one person to set the standard that everyone has to follow."
Torfi sighed before speaking, "It'll be annoying dealing with them but I can do that."
It was all progress in the right direction. Painful and annoying to fight for but it was progress. If everything worked in a vacuum Leo could have industrialized the entire city in four years at the most.
It took two years to optimize the process of making the steel and another three years to find the best way to make tools. The metal had to be cast in a different manner due to the higher melting point, and it was significantly harder to work with. Yet despite the set backs and the amount of time it took, it was still a step in the right direction.
The city was not physically prepared for what Leo had planned. Both with the amount of money flowing in and out of the city along with the input and export of goods. The population was not plentiful enough to allow for cheap labor and there was not nearly enough space.
Once the quality control was set up Leo could look into finding ways to further connect the continent. Some of the poorer villagers would be more than willing to find a job in or around Iliasburg, especially with the presence of monsters constantly increasing.
Leo knew they needed a focused project and time for the information to spread, he had to be patient. The waiting was painful because he knew time was limited before the monsters got word of humans making dragon steel. So they needed to take advantage of this opportunity. Maybe they could get the attention of the human kingdoms on Sentora?
Several months had gone by and Leo was beginning to make sense of how a potential steam engine should work but the exact mechanics of it still stumped him. He knew the steam had to push a piston or similar to then move a metal rod to transition the power in the steam to motion.
However, figuring out how to build a compartment that both allowed the fire to burn hot and the water supply to be constant was the major problem. The designs either made water the limiting factor or the fire would never get hot enough. Both situations would stop the engine from working at some point.
Yet despite this Leo had to attempt to ground himself in some reality. There was a reason perpetual motion machines did not exist. Leo was not a physicist but he knew energy can not be created from nothing, It all bleeds out somewhere.
For now, he would work with Galen on attempting to design this machine. The wizard was surprisingly more interested in the steam engine idea than Leo expected. Yet as Leo came to know Galen over the years he understood that once he got started on an idea, he would be damned before he left it unfinished.
Meanwhile, the trader's guild had massive developments with their prospecting efforts. They found a deposit of manganese on the edge of the mountains and a massive deposit of coal on the bank of the river flowing through the Irina mountains. The river's confluence had the largest deposit and much to Leo's surprise, there was a lack of monsters.
There were several reasons that Leo could think of, either something to do with the natural pollution of the water preventing slimes from inhabiting the area. The mountainous terrain preventing more land-dwelling species from forming a village, or perhaps even a lack of fertile soil making the area inadequate for larger populations.
Regardless of the reason, Leo was ecstatic that they could gather the coal in relative safety. The threat of monsters still played a major role and unless Maya could train a small militia then they could only hope for a small mining operation at best.
The small operation would be enough for now, bringing in some source of more efficient fuel would prevent some local deforestation. At this stage, keeping the elves as content as possible was a must. They were far too numerous and Iliasburg would not be prepared to deal with them at least not for a while.
Leo just hoped they could get ready in time. They needed the infrastructure and people before they could begin breaking free of the monster's influence. But once they did, the humans were finally free to do as they wished on the continent. Then humanity might be able to survive for the next generation.
"I don't suppose there's anything we can use to generate water inside the machine," Leo asked while looking up from his paper.
Galen shook his head before pulling out a small book from one of his many shelves. "There are runes we can use but I've never managed to create water with one. It was one of my projects before I met you and Maya."
"But you can create it without a rune?" Leo asked.
"I have, but introducing the water manually would not solve the problem," Galen stated.
Leo gripped his hair in frustration before sketching out another quick design, "I know we need two openings for the fire, one to add coal and another for the steam and smoke to exit. Do you think we need to have them separate?"
Galen placed the book on the table and began looking through it. His book was filled with notes of runes, spells, incantations, and other words that Leo could not entirely make out from his current angle.
"It's likely for the best," Galen said, "If the steam cooled and flowed onto the fire it would require more fuel. I still insist on using separate pipes, one to release the smoke and the other to hold the water and steam."
"That still gives us the problem of heating the water to make steam in the first place," Leo said. "Having pipes run through the fire won't transfer the heat enough to boil the water."
"Well regardless, to save materials we need the smoke to leave the engine compartment as quickly as possible. A direct route from the firebox to the air would be ideal, the same can be said for the water and the piston," Galen said.
He pondered on the idea before speaking, "I agree with the smoke leaving quickly, that absolutely saves us some material."
Leo pointed toward a small box that had small waves drawn inside, "Say we keep the water here, why don't we just keep the firebox directly next to it? Then we can slant the bottom and make the coals burn closer to the water."
"If anything that would lessen the heat produced," Galen said, "There would not be enough space for the fire to burn, not to mention adding runes for airflow would only increase the speed we burned the fuel."
Leo looked back down at the paper, "So we at least need a good amount of open air for the coals to burn. Yet it needs to be closed off enough to keep the heat high. Along with all of that, we need it to heat up water to a boil and make the steam push a piston. All without having the water cool too much."
He dropped his quill before gripping his hair again, "There's so much to consider, too many things need to be perfect, if we get the length wrong then the steam won't be able to push the piston. If we get the he-."
Galen slammed his book on the table, instantly cutting Leo off from his rant.
"If you panic like your life is on the line then nothing will get done." Galen said bluntly, "You are not in danger anymore Leo, calm yourself and think. Stand resolute with the earth and it will stand with you."
Galen picked up Leo's quill and handed it to him, "We aim for efficiency, and that will only come with dedication to getting it right eventually. We do not need progress in the here and now, it will come if we work."
Leo took a deep breath before nodding his head and grasping the quill.
He drew a 'C' shaped compartment around a firebox, the long end of the 'C' continued back at a flat angle. Several lines indicating pipes traveled at a slight upward angle before reaching a point at which they exited the large containment box.
"If we keep the firebox door closed then we'll keep more heat in. The more heat in with the fire, the more heat transfers through the metal and into the water." Leo said
At the top of the large chamber, Leo curved the tank up slightly more before drawing a slight hole. This hole did not lead to the outside, rather it led into another chamber.
"The whole compartment around the firebox needs to have water in it." Leo said, "If we get this section hot enough it will transfer heat through the steam pipes and those will continuously heat the water. More of this heat means more steam, more steam gives us more power for the piston."
Galen perked his head up before taking a quill of his own to the paper. Slightly after the hole in the water compartment, he drew small angled circles pointing toward the piston.
"We add wind runes to increase the speed at which the steam moves," Galen said while a smirk grew on his face, "The faster the steam moves the more power we have, which would further reduce the amount of water and steam needed for motion."
"At that point, we could just keep the wind runes constant and adjust the power of the engine by removing coal or cutting off the air that the fire needs to burn," Leo said.
Galen stood up and looked in his book, quickly flipping through page after page before stopping on one, "We have to be careful with the exact runes used because some have a significant drain on the magical energy around them."
Leo grimaced, "How long do you think a rune could work before putting us in danger?"
Galen flipped to another page, "Small runes you find on weapon enchantments can last hundreds of years without causing problems. But that they also absorb energy from their user so it is difficult to compare."
He flipped to another page, "Depending on how long the runes are active without moving location I would give it around a year. The rune would get to the point of eroding the surroundings for magical energy, leaching from both humans and the structure the engine is placed in."
Leo sat still for a moment, imagining a building or vehicle collapsing around one of the engines. "Is there anything we can use as a replaceable energy source? Something the rune can take magic from."
Galen sighed before speaking, "There is… The problem is that no human can get access to one of the crystals. They're a native mineral to the Hellgondo continent that I've only read about."
Leo leaned back in his chair silently cursing to himself. Of course, they would have to work with the monsters. They're already stronger and faster than humans why not give them another edge above us.
He opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Galen, "Your question makes me debate if you misunderstood what I said or not."
Leo raised an eyebrow before sitting back up in his chair. Misinterpreting? Magic flows through objects and materials, some are more connected to the spirits than others but the general principle remains the same. When you take most or all of the magic out of an object it will wither down.
"The location of the rune has to change," Galen started, "Geographic location specifically. So long as there are not a high concentration of runes in the same area, all working at the same time, the magic will eventually replenish the area."
Galen paused waiting for a sign of Leo's recognition, once he nodded his head the mage continued, "Keep in mind we're dealing with wind magic here. Each type of magic acts in accordance to the element it represents and because of that they also draw their energy from different sources."
Leo's eyes widened slightly in realization, "So long as the air around the runes has magic in it the runes will function without decaying everything around them."
The mage nodded his head, "Correct, so this design would have to be used for mobile engines rather than stationary locations like mills."
"That would limit the use of it for increasing production in villages," Leo said slowly, almost pausing after each word in an attempt to convey what he was thinking, "But we could still use it for transport."
"Agreed," Galen quickly said, "Not only that but it would allow us to understand the limits of the power the machine can produce compared to human power and contemporary methods."
Galen slowly closed his book and placed it back on his bookshelf before beginning to remove most of the materials from the desk. He picked up several bottles of ink and the scattered remains of parchment left over the table.
Leo hastily snatched one bottle of ink on the table before Galen could grab it. "What are you doing, we're finally making breakthroughs?"
The mage ignored Leo's complaints and proceeded to snatch the ink out of his hand, "To be blunt you need to get some fresh air. We've been working for hours today and you have not left the building for two weeks. The last thing you need is your body wasting away, especially if you plan to fight back against the monsters."
"We don't have the time Galen!" Leo pleaded, "Every moment we aren't working on this is another moment the monsters have to enslave us all."
Galen took the quill that Leo was holding out of his hand, even using some earth magic to maintain his hold was not enough for Leo to retain possession of it. "Your physical health is more important, earth magic only enhances what you currently have. It does not create new strength."
He had a point and Leo knew it. Magic could only enhance, if he had the strength of a child then the harpies would take him again. Despite his improved skill and newfound magic, it would not make a difference if they could just simply overpower him.
Leo got up from the chair and shook his legs. They did feel tight to say the least, sitting down for so long certainly did not help him. But it was a price that he had to pay, and he would gladly do it again. The more thinking and designing he did the better things would be, both for Maya and for humanity.
When Leo walked out the door he was blinded by the sunlight. The white snow that covered the ground reflected light back into his eyes. After a few moments, his vision cleared and he saw just how much snow had fallen. The snow covered up to his boot's heel and the light flurries continued to pile on his head.
Yet despite the snow, he was not cold. The robe Galen had given him was enchanted with modified flame runes that acted to warm his body. They only activated when Leo put the robe on and they absorbed some of his magical energy. Small fabric straps tied neatly in front of him helped to keep the robe closed.
There was a small hood that Leo could cover his head with, but it had been ages since he'd even seen snow. So even if he was a bit colder, he could deal with it for a while. Especially considering the snow gave him an almost childlike sense of wanderlust, a complete desire to run around without a care in the world.
Looking around he saw several children playing in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other. He saw another group making snow angels with nothing but pure joy on their faces. Something about their smiles just warmed his heart, such innocent happiness.
It was something to cherish, and Leo wanted the kids to stay like that as long as they could. Maya had hers taken from her too early and he would be damned before he let another kid go through what they went through.
Before long the long line of houses dispersed and a small plaza formed. When Leo walked close he could feel the cobblestone switch to grass, even if he could not see the change below him, the feel was evident.
On the furthest side of the plaza against the stone wall were the guard headquarters and barracks. It was made of the same stone that the walls were made from and it towered above the city wall, almost acting as a watchtower inside the city. There were few if any windows but the ones that were present were shut tight and it had a wooden roof covered in thatch to help with some insulation.
Yet despite its sheer size, it could only hold around one hundred soldiers. When they first arrived it was a major point of concern for Leo, and the guards only told him there was not enough space for more soldiers. Something Leo wholeheartedly disagreed with.
Maya agreed with Leo and even after becoming training partners with most of the guards, they still never let her enter the building. Stating that it 'wasn't for civilians,' and that only the members of the official town guard could enter.
Unsurprisingly to Leo, Maya took offense to being called a civilian and was actively working to prove the guards wrong. By effectively curb-stomping them in every training session. Despite being significantly younger and less experienced than the guards Maya was still the better fighter.
The sound of screaming by the barracks broke Leo out of his thoughts. From his current distance everything was still a blur but when he walked closer what he saw was eventful but nonetheless unsurprising.
Two guards were knocked out cold on the ground, one of which had small flames around one shoulder. While the other one had large amounts of blood coming from his nose.
Standing overtop of them was Maya, her brown hair was wrapped in a ponytail that dropped down to her shoulders. Her brown tunic was covered in snow and had several pieces of fur coming out of the clothes around her neck. She had her pants tucked into her boots in a similar manner to all the other guards, perhaps a method of keeping some of the heat in.
But what stood out the most was what her gloved hands connected to. A massive greatsword that had the entire length of the blade engulfed in flames. The handle and pommel were both long and a small section of padding rested above the cross guard. One hand rested on the bottom of the handle while the other tightly gripped above the cross-guard
Leo watched her turn around to face the other two guards who had her surrounded. In the brief instant that he saw her face, he noticed an almost feral smile.
"About time you came out of that room Leo!" Maya shouted while making a quick dash toward the guards.
They both ran out to the sides in a clear attempt to flank her. Only for Maya to change direction and run directly toward one of the guards.
She slashed the blade across the guard's chest not making contact with him, but rather sending a quick burst of flame toward the man.
One hand reached up to block the flames which gave Maya enough opening to rush even closer and slam the pommel into the guard's stomach. The man gasped for air as it was forced out of his body, and not a moment later he fell to the ground wheezing.
The other ran toward Maya the moment she engaged his comrade. Yet despite the attempted two versus one Maya was able to swiftly transition from one opponent to the other.
The guard reached forward with his sword aiming to pierce through Maya's guard. The blade flashed forward towards her and was only slightly deflected by a twist of her greatsword.
Seeing his body exposed and defenseless, Maya took a step to that side and swung the sword at him. The snow below the two combatants melted from the heat of her blade as it flew through the air.
Only to stop mere moments away from severing the guard's arm. A second later the sword's flames extinguished themselves and the guard threw his weapon on the ground.
"Well I'll be damned," He panted, "Dealing with that fire's a lot tougher than I thought."
The guard on the ground eventually managed to catch his breath, "Fucking hell… That sword has… some weight to it."
Maya looked at the guard on the ground and placed a hand on her hip, "Well no shit it has some weight, it's larger than yours."
"It's also made of denser material." Leo chimed in while walking toward the group.
Maya quickly turned around at the sound of his voice, "It's about time you came out and saw the world. I thought you completely forgot about the scum on the other side of the Ilias continent. The demons that we need to deal with."
Leo frowned at the hostility coming from his sister. He knew she was training to get out and fight the harpies. But she knew the importance of his research and inventions, so why was she getting so angry about it?
The conscious guards glanced at each other, looks of concern evident on their faces. One pointed to their unconscious friends and the other nodded his head. Slowly getting up they walked over to their comrades and began to drag them back to the barracks.
"See you tomorrow Maya." One of the guards mentioned.
In response, Maya slowly raised her hand in the air. After a brief moment, she grabbed her sword with both hands and stabbed it into the ground, slightly melting the snow around the tip of the blade.
"So when are were solving our little problem, instead of your problems?" Maya forcefully questioned, all the while lightly leaning on her blade.
Leo sighed before speaking, "It's not as simple as wal-"
Maya slammed her foot on the ground sending a small wave of fire around her foot. Part of the flames reached toward Leo's robe before quickly dissipating the moment after they touched the fabric.
"It is that simple." She yelled, "We've been here for years Leo! Fucking years and we've done a grand total of nothing."
Leo threw his hands in the air, "We've been trying to help Iliasburg! We've been learning magic, hell you're helping to tra-"
"I'm not training anyone!" Maya continued, "They're training me by being living targets, and if I can't handle a harpy swarm now then I'd rather die trying to kill one than wait around for them to find us."
"But what about the people here!" Leo pleaded, "If we don't develop the city then they'll be hopeless when the harpies arrive. We have to give the humans here every possible chance against them."
"We could give them a hundred years and it still wouldn't make a difference," Maya said, "Because we are the difference and helping them wont change anything!"
"Maya you don't understand, we can't do this alone." Leo said before quickly pausing to think, "There are hundreds of harpies and thousands of elves alongside them. We can't get them all."
She shook her head and waved her finger, "No no, you don't understand Leo. Do you remember what mom did? Do you remember why all the harpies feared her, why everyone feared her?"
"Of course I remember Maya, she told us the same stories." He paused again, figuring out how to word his next sentence. "She always told us some before going to bed."
"Then you remember how they saved Port Natalia," Maya said, "Three of them killed all the mermaids in that city. They freed the people after that, not before. No fancy schemes, no weird inventions, just their own strength."
"We can't compare ourselves to them," Leo said. "There's two of us, three of them, and they didn't have to take down an entire kingdom of monsters!"
"It's still possible!" Maya yelled, "They helped humans all across Sentora, taking out monster village after village. They made their own peace and kept it."
"They also fought together for years Maya." Leo said, "I haven't seen you really fight since we left home, and you've never seen me fight."
"Leo! That is why we need to get out there." Maya said before grabbing her brother's shoulders, letting her sword fall to the ground, "If you don't train, if you don't fight. How are you going to survive when the harpies come back?"
"I'll outsmart them, Maya, I'll never put myself in a situation where they can do something to me," Leo said, "I know how they think, I know the signs of when they're watching and when they aren't."
"So you'll live life as a coward?" Maya said, her voice dropping low and her arms losing their rigidity on his shoulders, "Stay behind these broken walls protected by incompetent guards."
"That's not it Maya," Leo said, his voice growing quiet before fading to nothing. Was he really a coward? He always had his reason, he had to prepare Iliasburg to fight the harpies. He had to prepare humanity to take on the monsters, one invention at a time he would help the humans take back the world.
But would that even work? Better transport would help but it would not help the humans fight. Nobody has the means of automation production, replaceable parts are almost impossible to find let alone make. Hell, the people here don't even know how to fully utilize gunpowder.
"I know you're scared Leo," Maya said, "They had you for so long, but the thing is. I can't protect you forever."
She forcefully poked him in the chest, "You have to fight back. These walls make you feel safe. But any monster can come on in and take over, and it's only a matter of time."
"I'm preparing to fight back Maya," Leo said, "I'm learning magic, how it works, how I can use it for so many different things. I just need time and I can make something that would help us fight back."
"And how long would that take," Maya questioned with a stern glare, "A month, a year, a decade? Longer than that?"
"I don't know Maya," Leo said, "I really don't know, but I do know I'm the only one who can do it."
"You're just making excuses. You're just too scared to leave the city now that you're finally free."
"I'm not scared, I'm just…" Leo's voice faded out as he struggled to find the words.
"A coward," Maya spat, "A filthy coward who won't take revenge on the people who took his life away from him."
Maya let go of his shoulders and slapped Leo across the face, "They took everything from you! Everything from our family! Everything from me! Those damn demons deserve to die for what they did."
She took a step back and picked up her sword. Slowly reaching it behind her back she strapped it in place and pulled on some piece of leather to secure the massive blade. Once it was secure she gave Leo a soft head shake before walking away.
"Where are you going, Maya!" Leo asked quickly.
She turned her head around. Eyes filled with fire and an expression that showed pure determination, "I'm doing what we should have done a while ago. Because someone has to do it, and if you won't come with me then I'll do it myself."
"Just wait until the winter's over!" Leo said. He could not let Maya go out on her own. Her weaponry was not suitable for taking down harpies of all monsters. She may have the strength but they'll chip her to pieces if she's alone.
"There's been enough waiting Leo! I just need to get my provisions and then I'm gone, you can either come with me or stay here like the coward you are."
"The harpies are more consolidated in the winter," Leo said quickly, enough to earn a raised eyebrow from his sister.
She stopped in her tracks, before turning to face him.
"You'll have to fight dozens at a time in the winter. Not to mention their caravans are heavily guarded and tightly monitored at this time due to the shortage of forageable food."
"That's why I want you to wait, you'll have a better chance," Leo said before his voice trailed off again.
Maybe he will be ready by then. If he focused all of his efforts on preparing himself rather than the town, maybe that would be enough time.
Maya stood still for a few moments before speaking, her determined expression remaining unchanged, "When the first flowers blossom I'm leaving, and you won't delay me this time."
Leo let out a sigh of relief, "That's all I can ask for."
His sister did not say another word and simply walked toward the town center. He could hear the crunch of snow against her foot with each step, slowly getting quieter as she faded out into the light snow.
He simply stared at the direction she had left and thought to himself, how could this happen? Leo needed time and Maya had run out of patience.
Leo gripped his hands into balls before pulling out the knife he kept at his waist and forcefully squeezing the handle. He looked into the dragon tail engraving on the pommel for what felt like hours, thinking of mother and what he could have done differently.
He spent too much time thinking too far into the future, and now Maya was forcing his hand before he was ready. Under no circumstance would he leave his sister alone to fight the harpies. She was right, it was something they needed to do, but they needed to go about it in the right way.
From all the war stories Alex told him, Leo knew that gunpowder had more of a psychological effect than people gave it credit for. That was the direction he needed to go, even if he had a simple smoothbore musket it would help to spark fear into the harpies.
Not to mention Galen would be more than happy to work on a new project. Especially if it involved optimizing a tool, that was something he took particular interest in.
Torfi on the other hand would be less than pleased. He already had his hands full and Leo was about to drop another massive project on him. Surely if he explained the reason for it he would go along with it.
Looking up from the dagger he noticed someone walking toward him. It was a woman with auburn hair that only went down to her chin. She wore a dress with a red base and several yellow yin and yang symbols were littered across the sleeves. Around her waist was a white strap, tied in a beautiful bow knot that held the dress together tightly.
She gave a light wave before a smile appeared on her face, "My that's certainly a fancy dagger. May I have a look at it?"
Leo looked down toward the dagger and back at the woman, "I'm sorry do I know you?"
The woman brought a hand up to her face to conceal her mouth, but Leo could see the edges of a smirk appear.
"Oh my apologies!" She exclaimed before offering a light bow, "My name's Yao. I saw you standing alone in this cold and thought you could use the company."
Leo gave a light chuckle before putting the dagger in its scabbard and keeping a hand on it, "I'm Leo, pleasure to meet you, Yao. But I'd prefer to have a moment to myself if you don't mind."
"Nonsense," Yao said, "You seem down and I'm more than willing to lend an ear."
Leo tightened his grip on his dagger. Now was not a time he was willing to go along with shenanigans. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm good Yao."
She continued to walk closer before she grabbed Leo's arm and pulled it toward her chest. His eyes widened, clearly surprised by the extreme forwardness of the woman.
Yao leaned closer to his ear before whispering, "It is a bit cold, don't you think we should warm up at an inn?"
Tired of the woman's nonsense he pulled the dagger out with his opposite hand and pointed it at her. In an instant she backed off, eyes fixated on the dagger pointed toward her.
"What part of no do you not understand," Leo said harshly.
Yao paused and quickly placed her hands in the air, a smirk ever present on her face. "You don't want to have a little bedroom fun?"
Leo simply stared at her letting a silence hang in the air for a moment, "No… No, I don't. I've had a long day and I'm not dealing with this now."
Her smirk widened even further, "Oh you want to find your sister before she runs off on you. It'd be a shame if you two were separated again."
Leo's eyes narrowed nobody would know that, let alone a random woman. The only people who knew that story were Galen, Torfi, and the harpies.
In a moment of realization, he dashed forward and slashed across her body. He utilized earth magic to enhance his grip around the dagger and increase the force of his swing. This woman was a monster, someone sent by Queen Sybil to find him.
Yao took a step back to dodge the dagger, a short giggle escaping from her lips. "So you do still have some fight in you."
He re-centered his stance and held his dagger in a reverse grip, his unarmed fist being the closest to Yao. Taking a deep breath and focusing on the earth beneath his feet Leo charged forward.
Yao slowly walked toward the charging man her hands lazily swinging by her side. Once she was a meter away from Leo she planted one foot and swung the other at him. All Leo could hear was a loud whoosh before her leg connected with his ankle.
Despite the force of her kick Leo stood strong. He felt the earth magic pull his leg to the ground in an effort to keep him standing and keep his leg intact. Yet while he was still standing the pain shot up the rest of his leg, the force of the impact vibrating throughout his body.
Taking the initiative he turned toward Yao and slashed his dagger toward her side. The blade cut across the side of her dress and severed that section of clothing.
Not wasting a second he reached with his other hand to grab her arm and pull her down. Yet when he grabbed her arm it did not budge, instead he felt the weight of a mountain residing in her arm.
Yao then reached with both of her hands and grabbed around his torso. Before Leo knew what was going on he was in the air and flying overtop of her, straight toward the ground.
His back smashed into the ground with pain radiating across his entire body. The breath was knocked out of him and he gasped for air, yet despite the impact he did not feel anything break. The remaining earth magic in his system cushioned the blow and hopefully prevented any lasting damage.
"The little Leo knows earth magic," Yao taunted, "Who would have thought you were so talented."
Leo lied on the ground gasping for air, It was a struggle but he was able to move his arms behind him to slightly pick himself up.
All before Yao stood directly overtop of him. A quick glance at her hands showed that they transformed into massive paws at some point, and Leo never noticed it. She pressed a finger on his nose and forced him back into the minor crater.
Yao giggled again before speaking, "That's what you get for ruining my good kimono. I should have you get me a new one, but that's for another time."
She moved off of him and began to walk toward the entrance. Her paws shifted back into human-like hands in a seamless transition. For a moment he thought he saw fox ears on the top of her head but he was not sure what was there and what was not at this point.
The monster turned around for a brief moment, "Queen Sybil sent messages all across the world trying to get someone to find you, she'll be glad to know someone found her lost little Leo."
Leo felt the earth magic leave his body as Yao disappeared from his vision. With the magic and adrenaline gone, he felt the pain return tenfold. It was unbearable and his body forced out a blood-curdling scream which was quickly followed by his vision fading to black.