Dragon's Archon - Ch. 19 - The Princess's Conundrum - Alpha (Patreon)

After listening to Malice vent and calming her down, I spent the rest of the evening in the tower’s library. Reading seemed like my only escape from the constant dredge of silent boredom.

I spent more time walking the library flipping through various texts, reading a passage here and there, then actually reading a full book. While the study of Talis and its history was important, there was a reason why I coasted through those classes. I found it hard to care. Especially when I had walking reference sheets that were my two advisors.

By the time of the morning rise, I had a full stack of books and scrolls that I’d pulled. My favorites were actually the scrolls that contained scripts of ballads. When I triggered the magic within, the bard’s voice sung as the music played in the background. They played like a medieval record player. Once I figured out how to loop them, I added that to the background ambience as I read.

Before I realized it, the tower’s alarm rang through the hall. After having Malice activate my armor and retrieving my hammer, I silenced the scrolls and ventured down to the main level. I found Ophelia in a new dress that was more black than red and wearing a different mask that covered her eyes.

“Sleep well?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t mind an hour or two more,” Ophelia said.

“How’s Yda?”

“She was still sleeping when I checked on her before I came down. I think she slept through the alarm.”

“Hopefully that means she’s feeling more comfortable and safe.”

“I hope so too,” Ophelia said smiling.

I pointed to the door. “Have you checked outside?”

“I did. You have a bit of a precession waiting for you.”

“Oh yeah? Anything I should be concerned about?”

“I don’t think so. The leaders are all waiting for you with a number of guards. If they were to assault the tower, I don’t think we would see Lady Florence or Nyla leading the pack.”

“All right. Why don’t you hang back so they don’t see you, and I’ll head out?”

“Oh, before you go, let me give you this.” Ophelia pulled a golden band with green gems off of her finger and held it out to me. “This is the ring that Nyla gave to me. Here’s hoping she will notice it and give you an opportunity to speak with her.”

“Here’s hoping.” I said before holding the ring up to my neck. “Malice, can you create a chain to hold this?”

“Of course, master,” Malice said. Black steel-like strands protruded from the upper part of my armor and wrapped themselves around the ring. “Will this suffice?”

I lifted it up. Malice’s strands swung like string. “Yeah, that should be fine. It didn’t have to be perfect, just something to get the point across.”

“Well, I should let you get to it‌,” Ophelia said, before bowing briefly. “May Heluna guide you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’m not sure how long the tower will take, but I’ll return once I’m finished.”

After Ophelia left through the interior portal, I headed for the exit. When the doors opened, I realized she wasn’t kidding about a precession. Lady Florence, Venom, the Butcher, and Nyla all stood beyond the tower’s doors. Behind them, an army of soldiers stood. At the snap of a twig, I checked my left. A dozen archers stood hidden in the treeline with their bows drawn.

Careful, master, Malice whispered into my mind. They’ve got us surrounded.

They either fear me or are trying to make a statement, I thought back.

Should I prepare for a fight?

No, let’s see what they want first.

I stepped down the short path to meet with the leaders. As I got close, several of the troops darted in front of me, gripping their hilts.

“What’s the meaning of this?” I shouted. “I said I would meet your man. I do not need an entire audience.”

“Just a precaution,” Lady Florence said with a diplomatic smile. “While we’re hopeful for your cooperation, you’re still an unknown Sir Blackthorn. We mean to see you keep your word and witness your power.”

“And you need all of this just to watch me?”

“Didn’t you hear the lady?” The Butcher said with piercing eyes. “You’re an unknown. With all of us here, protection is warranted.”

So it’s fear, I thought as I smiled. “Then take me to the site of the lighthouse. Let us be on with it.”

“Very well,” Lady Florence said. “The location is on the west end of the island. It’s a bit of a journey. We’d offer you a ride in our carriage, but I’m sad to say I don’t believe you’d fit.”

I looked beyond the trio to see the vehicle at the bottom of the hill. It was fully enclosed with a door mounted on the side. It sat on two axles suspended on four wood and metal wheels. Two enormous beasts were strapped in the front to pull. They had two eyes on each side of their heads, spiraled horns, and were as big as oxen.

“I do not need transport,” I groveled before pointing over them. “Just lead the way.”

The trio turned around and descended the slope before climbing inside the wagon. The troops surrounded me and the caravan as we weaved through the tiny city streets. All of Liberty Bay’s inhabitants gathered to witness the commotion.

After exiting on the settlement's western side, we traversed over rocky hills. The cleared path was thin, just barely wide enough for the wagon to wind through. Several times along the journey, a shout ahead stopped the caravan as several soldiers pushed out into the surrounding wilderness. Only to return moments later with nothing to show for it.

After reaching the top of the mountain, several men pointed out the destination for the site below. It was a long, rocky cliff that stood twenty-feet over the ocean. Beyond it were tall and jagged rocks that stood above the crashing waves like a spike pit.

Once we reached the bottom, the wagon turned into a clearing, allowing for the passengers to disembark. Lady Florence led everyone onto the cliff. The pounding waves sprayed everyone who got too close to the edge.

Once she reached the halfway point, the brothel owner turned and extended her hand. “This is it, Sir Blackthorn. We’re calling this location Spearhead Ridge. We need the lighthouse built along this area to warn off any approaching ships given the surrounding sea rocks.”

I walked past my audience further out onto the cliff’s edge. Thankfully, it looked flat enough. I didn’t know anything about construction or how to build a proper lighthouse. But my confidence in my abilities was at an all-time high. I was sure with Malice’s help, we could get it done.

I turned around and addressed the crowd. “Very well. I will begin.”

While I continued to survey the surrounding area, I noticed the guards setting up a small camp. They provided Nyla and Liberty’s Trinity with wooden seats they’d brought with them on the carriage. Several of the men worked on building a fire while others took out wooden rods and fished off the cliff side.

As I eyed the best spot for the base of the tower, I flipped my hammer to my back. “Malice, can you hold this for me?”

“Certainly, master,” Malice said.

When I felt something grip it, I let go. I readied myself to begin by stepping back and extending my hands. Upon activating Magma Spray ability, lines of liquid hot rock spewed from my palms. I dug my heels into the ground and concentrated on the force, directing it into a circle.

The initial base filled in quickly. I made it wide so that not only I could fit into it, but because I knew the design would taper when I reached the top. However, after a few minutes of constant casting, the base grew bigger and bigger. It wasn’t rising like I wanted it to. I tried pouring more molten rock into the center. However, it just pushed the bottom out wider.

Unsatisfied, I stopped. All I’d done was make a big mess. The ground looked like a burnt pizza that had been cooked on a rack, with some of the edge spilling over into the ocean. There was no structure to the shape at all.

“What the hell is this?” the Butcher asked. When I turned around, he was pointing down at my work. “We didn’t ask for a pile of sludge. We asked for a damn lighthouse.”

As the soldiers laughed with their boss, I turned around and whispered, “Malice, a little help, please.”

“What’s the matter, master?” the elemental asked.

“Can’t you tell? All I’m doing is throwing liquid rock and top of liquid rock. How do I morph and shape it like the Magma Manipulation perk said? Normally, the answer would just pop into my head. But like with the aura, I don’t have the same understanding as when I put on the gloves.”

“Well, what are you trying to do?”

I slapped my hand to my head. “Build a lighthouse. We talked about this if it was possible, remember?”

“Of course, my apologies. I can’t read your thoughts. But if you were to open them to me…”

I shook my head. “No, out of the question. Just teach me how to do it.”

“Are you talking to yourself over there?” Butcher called before turning to the rest of the group. “Remember, you all decided to work with this guy. Not me.”

I clenched my jaw as I found the Butcher’s voice increasingly irritating. I groaned inside my head, Malice…

The elemental huffed. Okay… let me see how I can explain this… Have you ever shaped a solid object before?

Like blacksmithing?

Kind of, but like a rock. Like how water can wither away the surface to make it smoother.

Can’t say I have. I think the closest thing I can think of is making clay pots in high school.

Yes! Malice shouted excitedly. Clay is of the ground. It’s a perfect substitute. Now imagine you have your clay. How would you shape it?

I adjusted the helmet to scratch the back of my head. Well, we’d pull a piece off, put it on a potter’s wheel, and then shape it using tools and water.

Perfect. Now we’re going to do the same thing here. Imagine the magma as your clay. The liquidity already comes from the intense heat. Your tools are the magic that allows you to manipulate it. Don’t forget, you have the power to adjust it as necessary. That means temperature, solidity, and shape.

All right, I’ll give it a shot.

I figured it would be best to try something small instead of something big. My idea was to craft a single block. A simple shape that wouldn’t be too daunting of a task. If I could manage that, then I could scale bigger.

Instead of using both hands for the Magma Spray, I reduced it to one. With my free hand, I pulled on the magic within and conjured it in my palm. I used the combination of both to spray the magma and then shape it like I’d done all those years ago. It took a few minutes, but after I had the shape, I cooled the liquid inside and hardened the surface. I smiled when I had my first stone block.

I turned around and tossed it in front of the audience. “That’s the first of many.”

The Butcher scowled and jumped from his seat. A red aura surrounded his blade as he raised it overhead. With a bestial shout, he swung at the block.

To mine and everyone’s surprise, his custom cleaver rang as it bounced back in the air. He chopped again and‌ again, small divots in the rock splattered up at his face. However, by the time he tired, there was nothing that showed any sign of structural weakness. Murmurs of excitement and disbelief rolled through the crowd.

“Satisfied?” I said, with a hint of pride in my voice.

The Butcher gritted his teeth and stomped back to his seat. However, when he reached the rest of the group, he whistled and swirled his finger in the air. “Come on, we're leaving.”

Lady Florence jumped from her chair. “Where do you think you’re going?”

The Butcher spun on his heel and said, “I’m taking my men back to Liberty Bay. You all can sit around and wait for him to build the tower, but I have better things to do with my time.”

“We have to wait until it’s completed.”

“Either he does or doesn’t, Gretta. We don’t need to sit around and wait.”

The foxkin woman stammered as she failed to come up with an appropriate response. “W-Well, well… you can’t leave us here!”

“Either you come now or you can find your own way back. It doesn’t matter to me, but I’m taking my men with me.”

Lady Florence turned to her companion. “Venom, darling, any help?”

The masked men strolled over to the block, picked it up, and asked me, “Can I keep this?”

“Yes,” I said with a stern nod.

Venom turned back around and returned to the group, not looking up. “Brick has a point, and I’d like to go back and examine this. Its hardness is marvelous.”

“If we’re all going, who is going to stay back and monitor his progress?”

“I can stay back,” Nyla said.

Jackpot! I thought. Hopefully, that’s a good sign that she noticed the necklace and wants to talk.

Lady Florence smiled and grabbed Nyla’s arm. “Dear, it’s not safe to be out here by yourself. You’re much too important to us to take that risk.”

“We either trust Sir Blackthorn or we don’t. If not, then there is no point in putting on the charade any longer, and we deal with him right now. We have him cornered. If we do, then I will be safe in his care until he completes the tower.”

She was right. I was up against the edge of the sea with nowhere to go. It would be me against close to fifty guards by my estimation, plus Liberty’s Trinity. If things resorted to violence, I didn’t know how bad it would get. Whatever Nyla’s plan was with this conversation, all I knew is if things turned ugly, the sea would run red and I'd likely lose her in the scrap.

Lady Florence looked me up and down before nodding. “Very well. But even with Sir Blackthorn, I will not leave both of you out here alone.” She spun and snapped her fingers. “Amelia, Cartha, Essel, and Harrietta, come here, please.”

My head perked up at the second name. Four archers came rushing out of the forest and stood in a line. Their facial features were all concealed by their hoods and masks, but when I focused in on the voidelf’s eyes, I knew it was her.

“You four will stay back and watch over Lady Amasi and Sir Blackthorn. Make sure they are both kept safe while the tower gets completed. Once it is, accompany them all back to Liberty Bay and return to me.”

“Yes, ma’am!” the guards shouted.

Lady Florence then turned to me and smiled. “We’ll await your completion of the tower, Sir Blackthorn. Please do not disappoint us.”

I nodded and watched as the Liberty’s Trinity members stepped into their wagon and ascended back up the hill. The guards gathered all of their gear and marched closely behind. Once they were out of earshot, I half expected Nyla to walk up and start talking. However, she sat back in the seat that was left for her and stared.

Maybe this is the smarter play? I wondered. Maybe she knows the guards are watching the both of us and will report anything that happens. I’ll just keep working and see what happens.

Over the next few hours, I cleaned up the base. I pulled all the misspent magma into a nice circular platform. After smoothing it out and ensuring it was flat, I started building up.

I planned to have the base be a small interior studio, so whoever was staying could have somewhere to live to maintain the lighthouse. The stairs would spiral up along the wall until it reached the top platform where the signal fire would be lit or whatever they used for a light source.

The room didn’t take long. It was just ensuring the thickness of the walls matched what I was going for. Malice was a great helper. Any time I had questions of weight or load, she was quick to confirm if I needed to make something thicker or not. It was a far cry from her earlier arguing with Ophelia. She felt like a valuable part of my team.

As I continued, my control over the magma became more precise. I could weave and twist the flow of the Magma Spray into the finest shapes. With each passing hour, my efficiency increased tenfold. Stairs that were taking me minutes to complete eventually only took seconds. Near the end, I felt like a walking 3d printer.

When I reached the top, I widened it slightly, giving whomever was tasked with illuminating this plenty of space to work with. The stairs I closed with a thin door. It gave me the opportunity to test my skills.

After several attempts, I made screws, hinges, and a doorknob to pull it up with. Once I pushed the screws in, I melted them permanently to the structure. While this would be awful for repairs, my goal was more to test my abilities rather than building for repairability.

Stone and metal came naturally to me. However, as I looked out at the covered awning, I was missing one critical piece, glass. All the lighthouses I’d seen growing up had the top section covered in large glass windows.

Like I did with the blocks, I started small with a piece no longer than my hand. I stretched it out, making it nice and thin. My initial attempt at just producing glass failed, but then I thought about things that were similar. When I envisioned what I wanted in my mind, the material solidified with a finished shine that was semi-transparent.

“Huh, I made obsidian,” I said.

“Well done, master,” Malice said, stroking my ego.

I put that off to the side and made another attempt. This time forgoing strength for translucency. Each attempt got better and better until I finally produced my ideal result. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure if it was actual glass or crystal, but it was completely transparent and held the strength I expected.

I sprayed in more material, closing the gaps between the supports that held up the domed roof. Once it was completely closed, I concentrated and shifted the material until it was almost transparent. After a celebratory laugh at my success, I finished the remaining walls.

With the fundamental structure complete, I descended the stairs back into the central room. I furnished it with stone chairs and a table. Not because it was the expectation, but because I wanted to see if I could. I was riding on cloud nine. The belief that I could create anything out of stone, metal, or glass fueled my creativity. I had so many ideas and longed to get started on my kingdom.

The final touch was putting a swinging door on the front. I kept it shut with a simple latch, given I had no idea of the modern inner workings of a doorknob. With it secured, I clapped my hands together and marched to Nyla, who was staring off into the ocean, looking bored out of her mind.

“I’m finished,” I said, looming over her.

She stood and pointed to the lighthouse. “Then I should inspect it. Come, show me what you’ve built.”

After opening the door and heading inside, Nyla shut the door behind us. She whispered quickly and directly. “You’re wearing that ring as a sign, yes?”

“Yes,” I whispered back.

“Why? Speak quickly, as we have little time.”

I didn’t know how to respond. The only thing coming to mind was the truth. I knew that if she was in cahoots with Liberty’s Trinity and was really going against her mother, I’d have to drop her fast. With Cartha outside, I felt better about my chances, as we’d only have to kill the other three guards and could make it back easily to the tower. I took my shot.

“Because we needed to talk. I need to understand why you’re betraying Queen Sekhet.”

Nyla’s eyes darted from side to side before widening. “Mother sent you, didn’t she?” When I nodded slowly, she threw her hands into the air. “Oh, thank the gods.”

I tilted my head. “So you want to be rescued?”

“Yes! Of course I do!”

“Yet, you mingle with Liberty’s Trinity like you’re working with them.”

“Because I’m trying not to die!” Nyla shouted in a hushed whisper. “Haven’t you ever heard of infiltrating the enemy?”

I crossed my arms and leaned back. “Explain.”

“When I came as part of the envoy to negotiate terms with Liberty Bay, I knew it was going to fail. My mother’s terms were basically a threat. Either give Nubia sixty-five percent of their earnings or face our wrath. What I needed was time. I needed to see the inner workings of Liberty’s Bay. To see what we could exploit or use to our advantage to give us a better path for negotiation. So when I landed, they took me inside and I lied. I said I was there because I was not happy with my mother’s rule and wanted to escape.”

“So you tried to con the con artists? Bold move princess.”

“I mean, it wasn’t a complete lie. I was here trying to run away. I wanted any reason to get away from her. You don’t know Queen Sekhet like I do. She’s controlling, manipulative, overbearing…”

I knew exactly what she was going through. Her words resonated with my own past. But I wasn’t going to tell her that.

“So they just accepted the truth?”

“Not at first. They seized me, took my men, and threw me in a cell for a few days.”

“How did you get out?”

“Eventually they let me out. They came by and asked me multiple questions, prodding my story full of gaps. But because it wasn’t a complete lie, it held true.”

“Even still, that doesn’t explain how you managed to get into their inner circle so quickly?”

Nyla lowered her head. “I…” She pinched her brows and looked up at me. “Look, it doesn't matter. Just know I gave them information I shouldn’t have. That will be addressed once we get back. My goal was to get in with them so we could gain information, information we could take back to Nubia to use for our advantage in manipulating or destroying them. However, with my men gone, I had no way of getting back home. The only thing I could think of was the ransom ploy under the guise that we would be getting back at my mom.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now. Now, we just need to get you home. I’ll take care of the guards outside, we’ll race back to the tower, and we’ll be back before sundown.”

“We can’t!” Nyla shouted, her hair snakes hissing. “At least not yet.”

“Why not?”

“We need to rescue my men, and all the women under Lady Florence’s employment.”

I palmed my helmet and let out a sigh. “The women that Lady Florence has captured… maybe. But your mom told me not to care about your men. That they didn’t deserve any sympathy for you getting captured.”

“Of course she did,” Nyla scoffed. “But I’m not my mother. I will not leave my men behind.”

“Do you even know where they are?”

“Somewhere on this godsforsaken island. I know they aren’t in the cells under the Butcher’s warehouse because that’s where they kept me. And they obviously aren’t at Lady Florences.”

“Somewhere with Venom then?”

“Could be. I heard he has a lair somewhere inland away from everything, but I don’t know where.”

I stepped away and paced about the room as I weighed my options. None of this was my mission. I was to get the princess safely home, and taking her now seemed like the best opportunity to do so.

“And what if I say no?” I asked.

“Then you can go back and tell my mother why you failed to bring me back,” Nyla glared.

“I could just force you to come with me.”

“Not without a fight.”

I chuckled. “You’re kidding.”

“You may be bigger than me, but one bite from me or my snakes and you’re dead. And even if you manage to somehow get me back, I’ll tell my mother you put your hands on me. She’ll cut off your hands and feed them to yourself.”

I stared into her golden slit eyes. As far as I could tell, she wasn’t kidding. While I wasn’t a hundred percent sure the queen would take such a stark reaction, I couldn’t take the chance. The whole point of taking this mission was the boons promised by the queen. But having her go back to Liberty Bay would be too much of a risk. I had to come up with something.

I raised my finger in the air. “How about… a compromise?”

Nyla crossed her arms. “What do you propose?”

“You will come with me back to Ophelia’s tower. You will provide me and my team with the information required to allow me to attempt the rescue of your allies and the women captured by Lady Florence. I give you my word that I will make every effort to see it done. However, my primary quest is your safety, and bringing you back home. The secondary is the destruction of Liberty Bay, which I will do in tandem with the rescue of your peers. Those have to come first above everything.”

Nyla brought her thumb to her chin and thought for a moment. Her snakes settled as if adding to her brain power. When she finished, she looked up with a slight grin. “I agree.”

I pushed her to the side, away from the door. “Good. Now stay in here until I give you the signal.”