Chapter 33 (Patreon)

After Winona’s declaration and seeing Maya transform, the rest of the fae lined up to the Heartstone. There were more brownies, plains nymphs, and a couple of more kinds he didn’t recognise. One of them was unnaturally skinny and had blue-tinted skin, and another might as well have been human. He didn’t know one from another, and he didn’t think it was the time to ask. Besides, he didn’t like it when people asked which side of his family was fae or their fae. He expected it to be the same for them.

Even though Flint wanted to use [Guide Growth] on Bjorn straight away, he focused on them first. He didn’t want to lose whatever goodwill Winona and Maya had won him. It took an hour to meet the rest of them and get through their oaths. Flint was exhausted by the end of it and was sure he wouldn’t remember most of the names by the end of the day, but it felt good to get all the fae to join.

Many of them made it clear that they neither trusted humans nor him—despite his mixed heritage. However, they were desperate to stay away from the war and would give him a chance as long as they had a spokesperson in whatever governmental body he put together. Flint already knew Twylip and Winona would have seats in whatever council he put together. Alais looked like a good candidate too, but after his experience with Percy, Flint didn’t want to get overeager. He planned on waiting until he knew the puck better.

No matter what governing body he put together, he believed every party needed a representative. He doubted a human would be happy with a Woodson speaking for them but hoped Twylip would serve the role well.

Flint wasn’t sure, but he got the vibe that the fae weren’t as unified as they appeared. He spotted them sitting in different groups. The plains dryads, high fae, and other human-looking fae sat together. Meanwhile, the brownies and pucks huddled far from everyone else to the square’s far end. As a result, Winona alone wasn’t enough to represent all of them.

Just as Flint summoned Bjorn closer, Ed returned, riding a cart. Flint was surprised he managed to fit in the vehicle through the narrow spaces between the collapsed building. Many of the young boys and girls rode in the back waving around bowls of cold porridge, skill stones, and everything they had stripped off the dead.

The humans still milling around the square rushed to investigate. “Back!” Ed exclaimed. “Let Mr Flint investigate first.” He whipped around the spear sitting on his lap when they didn’t listen, and it did the job. “Remember your blood oaths. These are his first. He decides what happens with them!”

“Easy there, Ed!” Flint called, rushing over. He got between them and the gathering crowd.

“We don’t want the stones going to the fae!” A very pregnant woman yelled.

“The fae don’t use skill stones, ma’am,” Flint said, taking the spear out of Ed’s hand. “Everything here belongs to this settlement, and you’re a part of it. That means you have a stake here too. However, we can’t have disorder.”

“What do you suggest then?” A younger man asked.

“Ed here is going to commune with the Heartstone and catalogue every stone here.” Flint looked over the crowd. “Do any of you know how to write?”

A couple of mumbled yesses while several children raised their hands. Flint picked one of the girls, and she introduced herself as Agatha. “Lovely Agatha is going to go around, taking names, professions and current skill stones.”

Flint found a giant ledger at the back of the cart. It detailed several pages of sales and an inventory of the current sails. Flint ripped out all the filled pages and threw them in the fire before handing the leather-bound notebook to Agatha. He found a finger-sized chunk of writing stick, and the girl’s eyes widened when she got her hands on it.

“Try to keep your writing neat and clear, alright?” Agatha nodded, clutching the two to her chest like they were her prize. Flint doubted she’d want ever to give it back. He chuckled, returning his attention to the crowd. “Once we know where everyone’s strengths lie, we can discuss how to divide the stones. Please try not to lie. We’ll ask for a demonstration of your capabilities before handing anything over. The Heartstone might consider threat a violation of your oath too.”

“I get Agatha, but why should we trust Ed?” The pregnant woman asked. “He worked for the bastards that tricked us and got us branded.”

“In case you forgot he is branded too, I trust Ed. He’s my apprentice.” Ed stilled behind him, and Flint shot the young man a smile. “Or he would’ve been if his military contract didn’t get in the way. I’ve built next to him for close to a year, and he’s nursed my wounds—twice now. Even though he isn’t a healer, I understand he took it upon himself to help care for the sick and wounded too. Would you not want someone like Ed working for your interests?”

The crowd fell silent. One by one, they dispersed, moving away from the cart. Agatha got to work straight away excitedly, and the other children looked at him expectantly, expecting jobs of their own. He sent the youngest to Alias and Seven and directed the rest of them uphill to find Twylip and Lefa. When the fae discovered they were heading to the gardens above, quite a few of them followed.

Once the square around the Heartstone thinned, Flint approached Ed once more. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first, Ed—”

“I’d be honoured to be your apprentice, Mr Flint,” Ed said, interrupting him. “I owe you my life.”

“No. I owe you mine. Now we’re even. Before you agree to an apprenticeship, tell me honestly. Did you join the Building Division because that’s what you wanted from your future or because you had no other option?” Ed’s eyes drifted to the floor. “I imagine you’ve gotten the skill stone to the second rank by now?”

Ed nodded.

“Then it’s not too late,” Flint said. “While you’re cataloguing the skill stones, have a think about what you want from your future. It’s okay to lose a year of progress if it means you can pursue the future you’d like. What did your parents do, Ed?”

Ed looked around the square at the few that remained before moving close to Flint. “I liked when signing up, Mr Flint,” he whispered. “I’m a Woodson too.”

Flint laughed. “That’s something you don’t need to hide anymore. Be yourself and think about what you want from your future. Alright?”

Ed nodded before starting on the assigned task. Now that nobody wanted his attention, he waved Bjorn over. The big, fluffy snow dog had flumped on his side once the children left. The battle’s stress and then dealing with the little ones had taken a toll on him. Bjorn padded over, weakly wagging his tail and tongue hanging out. He rolled onto his back on reaching Flint and waited expectantly. Flint laughed and gave him the belly scratches he wanted before channelling [Guide Growth].

The weather surrounding Bjorn’s node compass had changed much like Maya’s. A blizzard brewed in the distance, and the snow dunes appeared much more prominent than before. Flint didn’t waste any time and excitedly approached the pedestal in front of him. He estimated needing less than half the urn to bring Bjorn’s [Aura] to the groove. It left him to wonder whether to invest the remaining contents in [Power] or raise [Control].

Flint left for the decision for later. First, he brought [Aura] up to the groove. The curving line through it and [Power] lit up, and then pale blue pulse spread from the pedestal. Flint had to cover his eyes as the snow reflected the light. It didn’t burn as he expected. It was a dreamscape within the Heartstone, after all.

Three versions of Bjorn emerged from within the snow. The first was the Bjorn he was learning to love but the size of a bear. The fur was so thick and fluffy. It looked someone had draped several bear pelts around his giant body. Snow fell on Bjorn, but nothing clung to him. In fact, Flint noticed after several long moments of watching that they weren’t touching him at all. The snow drifted away from the giant dog and landed all around him.

Flint couldn’t fathom what it all meant, but he drew parallels to what he had seen with Maya. Her [Control] form couldn’t have made her blur and silent the way it did without some magical effect at play. Similarly, it was likely that the form that focused on [Power] would gain some benefits from [Aura] too.

Flint loved the thought of turning Bjorn into an unstoppable force of fluff that defended his allies with brute strength and a protective aura. The form padded over for a pet, but Flint contained himself, hoping to give the other Bjorns a chance.

The following entity heading towards the node compass looked like no dog at all. Instead, Flint found himself looking at a swirling sphere of ice and wind. Unliked the first figure, it didn’t have a comforting visage. The revolving forces resembled a violent maelstrom. Flint was sure it wouldn’t just chill nearby foes but shred them to pieces too.

Even though the form emanated power and was hot, it wasn’t what he wanted for Bjorn. Flint wanted the snow dog to function as a beacon of protection and reassurance, not to instil fear. He once again found himself gravitating at the giant fluffy version Bjorn.

Flint’s heart dropped when he saw the third form. It wasn’t as attractive but felt like the more intelligent choice straight away. This Bjorn’s size was halfway between the [Power] form and his current one. Bjorn’s fluff clumped together, forming ice-tipped spikes. The same could be said about the ear tips. The black fur covering Bjorn’s back had brightened, transitioned to charcoal and was now salt-and-pepper grey.

Almost invisible waves of blue radiating from Bjorn and stopped twice his body length away. If not for [Keen Eye]’s enhancement, Flint doubted he would’ve seen it. The light formed a rough sphere around Flint. He was sure the form was equally influenced by [Aura] and [Power]. Brawn balanced with a circle of chilling felt like a powerful combination with the best of both worlds. He walked down the hill and the paler Bjorn, and the upgrade was complete.

When Flint stopped petting Bjorn, he whined. The fur had a crispness to him and lost some of its lovely smoothness. He laughed, looking at the suddenly bigger Bjorn. “You’re a big boy now, aren’t you?”

The whining stopped, and Bjorn’s giant tongue hung out the side of his mouth. Flint had to force himself and report to the humming Heartstone calling to him.