Chapter 424: Where there's Smoke....

Chapter 424: Where there's Smoke....

Abraxius hadn't advanced through the ranks of the Winter Council through magical strength. It was his talent at planning, organization, and anticipating his enemies' moves that were his greatest skill, and what he secretly prided himself on. Creating a stronghold in the Duke's city had taken months of careful maneuvering to gain access to the hidden tunnels, corrupting the Sewer Authority, and smuggling in both men and weapons. The ambush meant to kill the Duchess had been even more work. Part of his mind was furious at how fast it was unraveling, but his overriding thought was of escape.

Only a fool stayed to fight when he could flee, and for that reason, he always had an escape route planned. He panicked momentarily when he realized he was outflanked. Heat flared beneath the building in the tunnels, obvious to his magical senses. Far more Heat than any Fire Mage should be able to put out. The screams of the Glacier Ogres as they died attested to how powerful that mage was, confirming his fears: Caldrius had melted through the icy barrier at the ambush site impossibly fast and followed his fleeing troops through the tunnels. That the old mage was alive after standing in front of four of his cannons seemed impossible. Equally impossible was having enough Heat left to melt the barrier created by the exploding vats of cannon fuel. And now he was below, melting Tier 4 named monstrosities to water.

The Ice Mage was just under Tier 5, nearly able to ascend to those lofty heights of power. Caldrius was Tier 6 and unimaginably powerful if he could do this. The Winter Council needed to be warned, but to do that, he needed to escape, and it wasn't going to be done by rushing into that blazing inferno below. Or was it? How much power did the old man have left? The thought of charging down and launching an assault nearly won out, but Abraxius was a cautious man and assumed others were as well. He would never exhaust himself so near to an enemy when he could avoid it. Neither would Caldrius. Which meant he needed to put a barrier between himself and his enemy and make him expend more of his power.

From his Frosty Bag of Cold Storage, he took his last six Hearts of Winter. The magical orbs could replenish both his mana and the Cold in his belly. But they could also be broken to release a small glacier's worth of normal ice or a strong barrier of magical ice. He chose the latter and threw three to the floor of the bottom story, then signaled a retreat to the next floor and repeated his actions. With Caldrius trapped beneath him, he might be able to fight past the soldiers around the tower.

One glance outside told him that was a foolish plan. Over a hundred soldiers, a quartet of Fire Mages, and the Duchess herself were outside, herding townsfolk away from the tower, and setting up for a siege. He wasn't getting out this way.

"Retreat to the second story and fill the first with every bit of ice you can. Use any Heart of Winter, Icebound Elemental, or Ice Wall Scroll we have to fill the lower levels with ice. We will retreat to the top of the tower. Barricade the windows and prepare to kill them if they rush the front gates. Pick off the leaders while they chip away at the barrier. Our plan to draw off their forces from the teleport area is working as planned."

It was always good to give the minions the impression that everything was going well. He hoped to hell that the planned invasion would happen soon. Meanwhile, the council must be warned of Caldrius's increased power. And he might still salvage this day. "And carefully begin bringing the last two cannons to the top of the tower. We may be able to snipe the Duchess if she becomes careless. Load solid shot. Her death will give Winter its victory."

Beneath the tower, Ozzy was doing his best to prepare for a fight, drinking down as many healing potions as his system could handle, and eating a jar of snails that sizzled as they hit his tongue. The soldiers had formed a kill pocket around the door with halberds at the sides and a crescent of swordsmen ready to absorb a charge. The crossbowmen were using what was left of the bodies of the ogres to shoot over the heads of their fellows. When frost formed on the walls of the building and the gates strained, they all tensed, relaxing slightly as the doors were pushed open by the expanding ice.

"Fall back but keep in formation, it may be a ruse." After several minutes, he turned to Ozzy. "Well, I think they actually don't want to talk to us. Rude of them."

Ozzy had been studying the ice. "It is rude, isn't it? That's a big chunk of Cold they dumped in our way."

"And not something we can clear. Hacking away at it will only break weapons and kill men from the cold. Dammit, we were so close to catching them."

The scout appeared from the passage that ran to Ozzy's shop. "Good news Sergeant. We have them trapped. The Duchess is up top with a full force and she sent another hundred men through the tunnels, they'll be here soon."

Hastings smiled, "That makes me happier. How is the Duchess going to handle them?"

The scout shrugged, "Above my pay grade, but she mentioned bringing up cannon if she had to, and destroying the tower. Be a shame though, to lose the statue. I got the feeling she hoped we could put some pressure on them. Should I report back that we're blocked here too?"

Hastings started to reply, then noticed that the Butcher was walking over to the ice-filled gates. As he watched Ozzy tear the iron doors off their hinges, cursing as the cold stiffened his hands, he turned to the scout. "Tell her what happened down here, and that the Butcher has some idea he's working on."

"Shit, Karl won't be happy if I have to blow up that statue. He said he used to go to the top of that tower and look out at the city from there. He even climbed to the top of it once when he was ten. That got him a month of sweeping streets in the afternoons. He still says it was worth it."

"We could starve them out, Your Excellency. I'm sure most of the people in this part of town would be grateful to not have canons reduce the tower to rubble."

"Sure, I can see how you would be thinking that. What did you have in mind?"

"I notice you have a business now and businesses attract tax collectors like a dunghill attracts flies. I'm assuming you dislike paying taxes."

He smiled, "Who does like paying them? But I'm also a good citizen who does his duty to keep the roads paved and the militia paid on time."

"Good to know. So you won't mind making the area beneath your shop part of the city's storage facilities, seeing as you sit on top of this fine tunnel system I'm going to put to use."

"Well, the Devil is in the Details, if you know what I mean."

"How about this? I'm going quietly declare your building and its entrance to this tunnel to be part of the city's emergency storage system and build storage areas along that tunnel, and beneath your building for excess food supplies for the city. Things like sausage, grain, and smoked meats. Of course, that comes with certain benefits to you, such as not worrying about annoying things like taxes and tax collectors. I like the idea of having some of my emergency supplies in a place people won't know about."

Ozzy shook her offered hand. "I think I can handle that."

"Good. I'll talk to Carl about it, but consider it done. Hand me another snail, if you'd be so kind. Where are they from?"

"Merchant Vodspaller has a shop in Sedgewick. I think he'd be happy to ship you a jar if you like them."

"A jar for me. But if he can ship barrels, I'll take those too."

"He'll be happy to. I'll set it for you and have them shipped here. Enjoy your snacks."

She rejoined her waiting bodyguards and walked back down the tunnel. The Butcher ate the rest of his snails and watched the fire, wanting to make sure every last terrorist was smoked out of the tower. After a few minutes, he got confirmation.

Fire, Smoke, and Sharks! When you don't like someone, you certainly make it clear! Winter would be putting up wanted posted for you, if there are any of their people left alive. Hint: There aren't!

For resisting the terrible winds of encroaching winter, you are rewarded with the skill: Cold Resistance. (CON).

I'd suggest you use the 5500 experience points you gained to raise that to Rank 10, but that's up to you.

You also earned 20 Enhancement Points for small things like killing two Glacier Ogres, a Tier 5 Ice Mage, saving the Duchess, and destroying not one but two buildings!