Amazon Apocalypse 2: Chapter 2 (Patreon)

I spent a few minutes packing my things while Bridget talked with Myrina. Sakura busied herself with a futile attempt to repair the chair and bed she’d accidentally destroyed in her rage, pointedly ignoring Myrina as she did so.

I listed out the things I’d need in my head. A change of clothes, toothbrush, deodorant, snack, and a few odds and ends. I stuffed it all in my gym bag and realized I still had extra room. Looking around, I saw a couple of my Mana Bomb wires. It was mostly strands of loose copper torn out of destroyed buildings back in Crownhill, with a few odds and ends to help the magic settle in.

They’d pack flat as they were, fitting into my gym bag nicely. Plus, they’d assemble into thirty or forty Mana Bombs. I’d meant to finish crafting them anyhow, so I might as well bring them in case I had any downtime while training with Myrina.

While simple, they had been my most useful creation as an artificer to date. If I had anything that could sell on Myrina’s homeworld, it would be these. Maybe I could make a bit of extra coin.

Hoping for handouts from Myrina’s family, I yelled at her. I’d been raised to earn my own way, so if I could figure out a way to make enough money to teleport Bridget and Sakura over to Myrina’s homeworld for a tutorial session, I’d be much happier.

“Hopefully, Myrina’s world doesn’t have any Amazonian TSA...” I muttered to myself as I filled my bag the rest of the way full of Mana Bomb-making supplies.

I stood as I finished, hefting my bag over my shoulder. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Sakura turned. “You’d better come back in one piece.” She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Bridget gave me another warm hug. “We’ll take care of the farmhouse. You take care of yourself.”

I flashed both of them a smile. “I promise I’ll be back before you even miss me.”

Taking a deep breath, I took a step closer to Myrina. “Alright, so what do we do?”

“Step outside. I need to activate a teleportation on my end. Your world doesn’t have a teleporter, which is part of why this is so expensive.”

Myrina winked out, and I was left standing on my lawn for several minutes. I was wondering if something had gone wrong when the world abruptly began shifting around me.

Shimmering colors folded in a perfect circle in all directions. I wanted to reach out and touch them, but first, I grabbed a blade of grass from the ground at my feet and held out. The point that touched the shifting array of colors vanished as though it had never been, leaving the blade of grass smoothly cut.

“Yeah, definitely not sticking my hand out there...” I muttered.

The actual teleportation took quite a while. Eventually, the land outside my farmhouse faded away, leaving behind just the patch of grassy dirt beneath me. I was wrapped up in a sphere of shimmering, shining colors.

Eventually, I sat down and fiddled with some spare wire. There wasn’t much to do otherwise, so I assembled a few more Mana Bombs. I got through ten of them before the colors started fading.

The shimmering wall of light started fading far faster than it had formed. From what I knew about enchantment from my Artificer Job, I guessed the Teleportation Array on Myrina’s end made the spell much more efficient. Factions with a proper teleportation network in place would likely get around much faster than the lengthy wait I’d just experienced.

When the light finally faded, I found myself somewhere far from where I’d departed. The chunk of grass beneath me crumbled atop a platform on the roof of a building overlooking a city unlike anything on Earth.

Most of the buildings were made of stone, though I spotted thatched roofs here and there. Everything was painted bright and colorful, and there were rows upon rows of narrow streets far too small to fit a car through, but still wide enough to walk or guide a horse along.

There were a few tall towers reaching for the sky and a couple of large complexes sprinkled throughout the city, complete with walls and gardens fencing off little private squares. From the rooftop I stood upon, I could see thousands of people on foot. It was too far to make out their features, but from the hair and dress they wore, I suspected all or nearly all of them were women.

It was a bit like someone had taken inspiration from a city like Boston and did their best to copy it using only medieval tools. It was certainly far larger than any settlement that had ever existed in Earth’s history, but not quite to the scale of Earth’s cities before the integration.

“Carter!” Myrina jumped up, wrapping her arms around me. This time, I felt warmth in her limbs. For the first time in a long time, this was the real her in the flesh.

I realized then one thing I hadn’t had when she was using her Farwalking Tablet.

Myrina was a lot taller than I thought.

I was taller than the average man, more so now that I’d upgraded my race. Even still, hugging Myrina gave me a face full of boobs. Not that I was about to complain about that.

“You’re finally here!” Myrina squeezed me tight, lifting me straight off my feet and spinning me in a little circle. “I can’t wait to show you the city! There’s so much to tell you! And so much to do!”

Besides a little extra height, she was much as she'd appeared to me before. Red hair, perfect smile, athletic build, and a smile that was equal parts playful and possessive. And this time both those traits were focused on me.

“Mmfff...” I said in reply.

Myrina might have given me a chance to say something wittier, but a harsh female voice cleared her throat behind us and interrupted our reunion.

“Miss Myrina, there’s the small matter of payment. A transportation like that one isn’t cheap,” the voice said.

Myrina put me down with a sigh. She reached for a pouch at her waist and tossed it to the woman. Now that my face was no longer buried in Myrina’s chest, I could get a good look at the woman in question.

Her skin was green, and her ears tapered to points. She stood even taller than Myrina and was more muscular than Craig had been. I used Examine on her.

Orc Teleportation Technician - Level 64.

The orc turned to glare at me. “Did you just Examine me? You’re lucky I’m in a good mood. Some people would charge extra for that rudeness.”

I realized my mistake and bowed my head. “Apologies. I was only curious. I’m from a newly in--“

Myrina clamped a hand over my mouth. “From the boonies! Nowhere important.”

The orc rolled her eyes. “Look, Miss Myrina, I know a teleport to a newly integrated shard when I see one. I knew there was a reason you wanted this done on the rooftop instead of inside with everybody else. Out of respect for your family, I won’t tell anyone. But you’d best keep that boy on a tight leash around these parts. He could get himself into trouble.”

Myrina bowed and tossed the pouch over to the orc. “Keep the bag for your discretion. Please teleport us to my clan. The public array in Valkyrie’s Watch is fine.”

The orc turned the bag upside down, and gold spilled in large quantities. Far more than could ever have fit in the bag. I eyed both the bag and the orc with interest, though I didn’t dare use Analyze on the bag after such a harsh reaction to using Examine.

After a moment, she was satisfied. She waved her hand, and a light shone from the ground beneath me. That same colorful energy enveloped me in a flash, and I reappeared in a smaller, less magical, and more medieval city perched on a mountaintop.

“Welcome to Valkyrie’s Watch.” A guard spoke in the dull monotone of someone who’d given the same speech a thousand times that very day. “Note to all visitors! Martial Law is in effect. Do not stay out after Sunset unless you’re a guard or have permission from a member of the Samhain clan. Place your bags on the table to be searched.”

“Don’t worry, Olga. It’s me,” Myrina said as she kicked dirt off the Teleportation Array. All the dirt I’d been sitting on had come all the way from Earth to Myrina’s world

I winced a bit. Hopefully, that wouldn’t cause a plague outbreak or introduce invasive species of insects. I had expected to walk through a decontamination chamber since I was a visitor from another world. But it seemed things were a lot less formal than I expected. “And there’s no need to search Carter’s bags either. He’s with me.”

The guard finally looked up from the book she’d been staring at. Blinking, she took in Myrina’s crimson hair and armor.

“Ah, Lady Myrina Samhain. You and your guest can go right through.” The guard waved us forward, and I followed with Myrina close. I gratefully tucked my bag under my arm. It looked like I would dodge security after all.

I made a mental note of Myrina's family name. Samhain.

Myrina had mentioned she was from a clan of Amazonian warriors. A big clan, too. Her clan name would be worth remembering.

“Sorry for the trouble,” I sheepishly ran my hand through my hair. “I didn’t mean to cost you extra back there.”

Myrina shook her head as she pushed through the crowd toward the back door. She seemed eager to leave the building we’d teleported into. “It’s my fault for not explaining more to you beforehand. I was just too excited. Just... stick close to me and follow my lead. You don’t want to wander off around here, especially at your level. And put this on.”

Once we were out on the streets, Myrina reached into another bag at her waist, just like the one she’d tossed to the orc, though this one looked a lot nicer. From it, she pulled out a long cloak, which she fastened about my shoulders. She pulled the hood up over my head, then wrapped an arm tightly around my shoulders and guided me to the stairs.

“Is that some sort of bag of holding?” I gave the bag at Myrina’s hip a curious nod.

“Yep! There are lots of Dimensional Storage items for sale here. It’s part of the reason I told you to become an Enchanter. They can make a fortune. Did you pick up the job, by the way?” Myrina asked.

I shook my head. “Not quite, but I picked up something similar.”

My Artificer job was a combination of Runesmithing and Enchanting, and it was a higher rarity than the Enchanter job. But Myrina must have taken my words to mean I’d accepted a lower-rarity job.

“Don’t worry. While it would have been nice to have a way to help sell your value to my family, it wasn’t strictly necessary. One of the dungeons I’m planning to run with you sometimes gives out bags like the one I just gave away. If we’re lucky, you’ll go home with one of those.”

Myrina’s eyes roamed the cobblestone streets around us as we walked, and she kept me pressed tightly against her side. Her free hand stroked the sword at her hip.

I eyed her. “You’re jumpy, Myrina. Is something wrong?”

I was a little worried to see her so nervous. This city, Valkyrie’s Watch, was supposed to be a city under the control of her own clan.

Myrina turned to me briefly before she began eying the empty streets again. “Nothing wrong, don’t worry, Carter. I’ve got us. The city’s usually better patrolled, but most of my family’s soldiers are reinforcing the border garrisons, so we’ve had an uptick in crime. I’m paranoid, is all. Just for my peace of mind, put this on.”

I hefted a piece of the cloak she’d given me. “It’s something to do with why I’m wearing this, isn’t it? I take it men aren’t welcome here in Themiscyra?”

Myrina shook her head. “Not exactly. Men can walk the streets just fine under one condition. They have to be strong enough to defend themselves. Us Amazonians can get a bit rough to be around whenever there’s a hysteria outbreak. A cute wizard-type like yourself might find himself the cause of a fight.”

“I see. I’ll have to watch out for that then.” I pulled the hood a little lower over my face.

We walked through a large merchant district, complete with vendors shoving fruit and vegetables in our faces. Myrina didn’t like the press of bodies, so she guided us down a side road. These were weapons and armor shops. I heard the familiar ring of hammers on anvils. It seemed like they were forging these things by hand. That was interesting because even the blacksmith back in Crownhill was working on getting a power hammer up and running again. I ticked Myrina’s homeworld one notch closer to medieval.

Not that there weren’t clear signs of creature comforts. For one, the city didn’t stink of sewage, which told me they knew something of plumbing. And the water in the public fountains was crystal clear, largely thanks to the enchantments I saw lining them. I would have to study those since I could certainly use an endless supply of clean water.

All in all, the city was soundly so-so. A bit primitive for my tastes, but the magical items scattered about would mean I wouldn’t suffer unduly during my stay. I'd camped in rougher places as a child.

Myrina was quick to change the subject. “So, how do you like the city? Impressed?”

“It’s pretty neat,” I replied.

Myrina rolled her eyes. “I can tell you’re not that impressed. Most people have trouble picking their jaws up off the floor as they walk through this place. Earth was surprisingly developed for an unintegrated world. I’ve read scholars’ reports that said your world was integrated tens of thousands of years ahead of schedule. The Arcadia Multiverse’s System must have been afraid you’d expand beyond your world and advance to the point you’d start your own System!”

I couldn’t help but feel a little bit miffed at the thought that humanity had been on the verge of something great. What if we had continued on our own path for a few centuries longer? What might we have invented then?

But there was no use spending too long pondering what might have been. The integration had begun, and the Earth I knew was gone. All that was left was to make sure what emerged from the ashes would be strong enough to stand on its own in the face of the Arcadia Multiverse’s established factions.

“Why did the System choose us anyway? Why our world?” I asked.

I expected Myrina to shrug and say she didn’t know, but apparently, she’d done her research on Earth before my arrival.

“Based on what I read, your world was seeded and destined to produce sapient people based on a standard template. It’s why you and I look so similar despite having different evolutionary origins. The trouble is your world went above and beyond what it was seeded to do. Most cultures are still stuck in worlds of swords, knights, and kings at the time of their integration. And they have a population distribution accordingly.”

She switched to the voice of a teacher giving a lecture. “You see, population matters an awful lot to the System. Conscious beings create distortions on the energy plane the System exists on. In the old days, before the first races created the System, these energy distortions would create monsters and other strange anomalies. The System was created to redistribute that energy in a less destructive fashion. Mainly, that meant concentrating the monsters in dungeons or spawn locations outside of settlements. It made the worlds the creators of the System inhabited vastly safer places.

“But as the uses for monsters and System-created abilities and jobs grew greater, the energy the System controlled grew too scarce. The creators of the System had grown dependent on their ability to use the power the System granted to enhance themselves and their lives, and with it growing in scarcity, they found life becoming harder. So, they decided to extend the System’s umbrella of protection over new worlds. They found several realms with a chaotic energy plane filled with energy just waiting to be harvested. Doing so made these primitive worlds safer for the local inhabitants. Also, it provided another region to harvest energy from for the users of the System.

“Occasionally, a planet, like Earth, becomes too densely populated to serve as a mere source of energy. Monsters would start slipping through, given the System’s limited presence. The only option to keep Earth’s energy plane under control was to perform a full integration early. With local infrastructure in place over your world’s energy plane, the System can utilize your world’s power far more efficiently and control whatever slips by.”

That was about what I’d expected. Earth was nothing more than a river the System had filled with water wheels. But now the flow was too great to harvest, so the System also had to build a dam.

Myrina must have sensed the tense expression on my face. She gave my shoulder a pat.

“Yeah, Earth probably would have done great things without the System’s interference. That’s true. But there’s the other side of the coin, too. Would you guys have made it as far as you had if you had to deal with constant monster attacks? Or even if the System’s energy management system had suddenly started breaking down around when the Integration took place? It would be a disaster for you even if the Integration failed. At least this way, you guys get to benefit from the power the worlds of the Arcadia Multiverse have been harvesting from you for so long!”

“I suppose...” I muttered, still not entirely satisfied. The System pretty clearly didn’t have Earth’s best interests in mind. To it, Earth was just another planet. But what if it wasn’t? The System surrounding Earth was a new one, and while it was connected to the greater whole spread throughout the Arcadia Multiverse, it wasn’t continuous.

Perhaps someone clever might find a way to take control of the local System. Someone clever and with access to knowledge they weren’t supposed to have. Someone like a Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge.

Myrina broke me out of my thoughts as we reached a castle at one end of the city. It was surrounded by tall walls and looked like it had built to withstand artillery fire instead of just swords and arrows. Each brick was individually enchanted to add strength to the wall as a whole, and if the mana flowing through it was as strong as I suspected, even those massive ogres back in Crownhill wouldn’t be able to batter down these walls. My opinion of Myrina’s clan went up a notch. The rest of the city might be medieval, but Myrina’s people had more tricks than most.

Myrina threw me a beaming smile as she saw I was finally impressed. “We’re here! Home, sweet home! You can take the cloak off now. I’ll show you around.”

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<Note>

So Carter is finally reunited with Myrina again! Yay.

Amazon Apocalypse 2 is going fairly smoothly so far. I've been sticking to my outline. Currently working on chapters 8 & 9. Skipped some earlier stuff and need to go over it. Tbh, chapters 1-5 are ready enough to go up here on Patreon, so I have a little bit of a backlog going.

Hopefully that'll mean we'll be able to dive right into 4 chapters a week when Spellheart ends, then maybe do 5 a week once I'm finished with Spellheart 9 editing and publishing stuff and I'm 100% focused on writing this book.