Frostbound

Chapter 271 - Networking

Chris

"Sadly, no, this won't be our last run-in with them," Ryan said, "It is also a problem that two separate Summonings happened back to back in a relatively short amount of time. If it's happened twice in two years just in our area, it will continue to be a problem indefinitely."

I could only agree with his assessment as that was the same as I thought. People would continue to be selfish and continue to summon Demons. There was nothing we could do to stop it.

Being powerless to stop it was annoying. It wasn't often that powerlessness was something I felt. Not anymore.

"So what is it you ask of me?" I asked. You didn't go through all this and not ask something of me. He already hinted at joining this 'Coalition.'

It was something I was amenable to but that depended on what it was for. If it was strictly for fighting Demons and standing together against such a threat, that was perfect but I doubted that would be all.

Just like everything before, good ideals would be saddled down and corrupted with greed.

"Most of this is to get the word out. Awareness of the problem is half the battle," He said, "It's also to get agreements to face the threat together. Those two were our main goals."

I sensed a but coming.

"But," I was right, "We're also working on a solution to the problem."

He let the words hang.

"Research and knowledge is difficult to discover but in the two years since the Change, we've made some advancements towards puzzling it out. That being said, to stop the Summonings and track any Demons that do make it to our world, we're working on a Formation.

"Obviously, such a formation has to be massive and require an impossible amount of mana to power if it's to work over any significant distance."

That much was obvious. My studies into Formations was mostly on Wards and not Scrying Formations, as what he described sounded like, but I knew enough that such a formation would be impossible to power. A large detection Formation tuned into Demonic mana was an expensive endeavor.

Even without the Crystal mine giving compact mana in solid form, we'd at most be able to cover the surrounding hundred or so miles around wherever the Formation was placed.

It would also be incredibly difficult to engrave, let alone maintain. That amount of power would degrade the materials quickly and require either sturdy, expensive metals as filigree or constant maintenance.

"Which is where this the Coalition comes in." Ryan said enthusiastically, "Instead of one massive formation, we've theorized that a series of smaller, connected Formations would be much easier to sustain and power while also covering more ground."

What he was asking of me fell into place after hearing that. "And you want me to place one of these Formations in my City?" I asked.

Ryan nodded, "Yes, we're trying to expand our coverage and we're reaching out to all the Pylons we can. You're City being as far North as it is gives coverage over an area others can't."

I was hesitant. The idea was good. Great even, if it gave us an early warning system on Demon Summonings but it was also an easy way to spy on us, depending on what the Formation did.

I'd have to study the Runes involved and make sure the Formation did what they said it did. I would also make it myself, instead of letting anyone come in and do it.

There was too much I didn't know about Formations to trust it to anyone else where they could sneak something in and hide it among the Runes.

"I see nothing wrong with doing so. I'll have to look at the Formation and make it myself, but I otherwise agree." I announced. "I'll have someone get in touch after this 'test' is over, if we still stand."

"Great!" Ryan said, "We'll await you then."

The conversation naturally over, I stood, "Good day and good luck. I wish you good fortune in the battle to come."

"Likewise."

With that, I left.

Ashton

He sat silently as he watched the Prime Minister settle back into his chair. The meeting hadn't gone horribly, which was a good sign. It could've ended a lot worse. He still remembered what happened after the Demon fight vividly.

"He's more hardheaded than you described," Ryan said finally.

"I don't have that much contact with him. I've met him twice before now and neither time for very long." Ashton answered. The letters back and forth between them didn't amount to much.

It was hard to understand a person through the written word.

"You were right about the straightforward approach, though." Ryan mused, "He didn't seem to like being questioned about the Portal."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"From what we know, he takes his word very seriously. If he said it happened, insinuating that it didn't is a direct challenge to his Honor." Ashton tried to explain.

With the trade between the two cities, gaining exposure to the culture of Frostheim was rather easy. Ashton also had a few informants inside but they didn't get very far before they were stalled. Chris kept most higher positions inside his family and that was impossible to get information on. Without someone high up on the inside, they gained the same amount of information as someone who visited normally.

He didn't have the resources to do much else as his own city was in turmoil. He had to leave a lot of good men at home to make sure no riots broke out.

He also had to bring a lot of people he didn't want to with him on this trip, to keep them from doing something while he was gone.

Ryan straightened himself, "Do you think he will help?"

Ashton nodded, "If he said he will, he will."

"Good," Ryan said, "Better than the rest of these power-hungry warlords. The Stormbringer wouldn't even entertain a meeting, the bastard."

An attendant came in after seeing Christopher out.

"Let's keep going. Who do we have up next?" Ryan called out.

"The Eternal Flame Faction is next closest followed by The Great Lakes Alliance." The attendant said.

Chris

The meeting didn't end up taking that much time out of the day and it wasn't long until he was back to my original plans.

Hauling boulders around wasn't the most entertaining thing in the world but that was the best thing my time could be spent on. The ticking clock was a motivator unlike anything else.

Watching people work tirelessly to construct weapons of war and whatever defenses they could was a sight to behold.

Siege weapons took shape nearly as fast as the Walls did. Every faction took a different angle depending on what their leaders thought was the best use of the time remaining.

Some dug deep trenches and focused on traps instead of heavy fortifications. Those usually had an increased number of catapults to go with, focusing on high-powered offense to offset the loss of better defense.

Especially those who had ranks of Shield Warriors to stand at the front. They believed a mass of shields would be their wall and instead spent their efforts elsewhere.

Others did the exact opposite. Spending all their time making the strongest and most fortified wall they could, forgoing nearly everything else.

We did a mix of both.

The fact we had two Factions worth of Builders and workers helped diversify where our time was spent. Working together increased efficiency and our Wall of stone grew with every passing hour.

Earth mages worked to pull up stone from the ground and compact it down as best they could. They also worked to meld stand-alone boulders and chunks of stone that the Warriors brought into the Wall instead of leaving them as unconnected chunks.

Builders did what they could and shaped it into a steadfast Wall. Their skills working overtime to solidify and imbue the materials with strength.

Anyone with an Earth Law was asked to do what they could.

Every time my Spirit recovered I would come back and pour more into the wall and instill upon it my conviction. Stand strong and endure.

Allison led those with Trap skills into doing what they could. Connor brewed up foul poisons to make them even more effective before we left and barrels of it were being liberally used where it could.

The entire effort reminded me of the tutorial.

It feels like it was so long ago. The memories felt like a time long past rather than just two years.

Back then, we were scrambling to put up whatever defense we could before the next wave came. It was ironic we were on the same three-day timer.

History loved cycles.

Except this time, instead of a rough family of thirty thrown into a situation they were unprepared for, it was a faction of thousands working at what they knew and were experienced in.

Wall building was something we'd done for years back home. Nearly every participant who came South with us spent time hauling stones or working as a part of the construction crew.

That experience helped us now and work was speedy and efficient.

There were a few other Faction leaders that came by for one reason or another but now wasn't the time to focus on them. If all went well, we'd have all the time in the world to sit down and discuss whatever they wished after this was over. If they were still alive.

Not that I would do that, as some came off poorly already.

Still, in just a few days I'd either written, talked, or otherwise spoken to more Factions than I knew existed before we left Frostheim. Abigail took care of most of the 'networking', but I still had to be there for some of it. Initial meetings and all.

It was hard not to see the progress other Factions made for their sections. What started as a ring of poorly constructed wood-reinforced dirt humps turned into something more as thousands went to work.

Subtle construction differences between one section to the next. Differences in height. Differences in thickness. Some had wide walkways on their top while others didn't.

One section wasn't perfectly the same as another but instead of taking away from the final form, it somehow added to it in my head. It spoke to a unity that I doubted would come often.

It was on the last day that something changed.

Jayla, the leader of Mountainside had come to pay a visit.

My job was mainly over. The overabundance of Warriors we had compared to the number of builders made us gather more than could be used.

It also gave those who needed it enough time to rest before their bodies would be put through a different trial the coming day.

With nothing I could add any more, I could only look on and hope it was enough. Three days wasn't enough to saturate the stone in my Spirit to its maximum, but it was the best we could do.

I needed my anchor to be recharged before the fighting started.

I'd felt her approach and knew that she was walking toward me before she spoke.

Other than the meeting, we hadn't had much contact. Before coming here, we had a few letters exchanged and a tentative agreement to trade but the obelisk put a pause on that.

"Fascinating." She said as her eyes roved over the wall. No one else had such a strong feeling of earth as her. Not even Jonathan.

I turned toward her. "What's fascinating?"

The way she looked at it so intently was odd.

"The stone," she said, "There's... something different about it. Sturdier, but not through magic."

Does she not know about Anchors?

"Anyway," She tore her eyes away from our Wall, "I've come to offer my assistance but it doesn't seem like you will need it."

"Assistance with what?" I asked curiously.

I knew from the meeting that she picked a section on the opposite side of us. Her, the volcano man, and the one from Denver picked together toward the West.

"I am a Mason." She stated, "Many of my City are and we've finished our preparations early. Now we've spread out to help those who need it."

That wasn't much of a surprise. We knew that Mountainside was carved out of the side of a mountain. Having a high percentage of Masons was par for the course.

That and Miners.

"I appreciate the offer anyway," I said.

It was a surprise to see someone so freely offering their services but the generosity of man wasn't dead yet.

Jayla smiled, "I must be off but I will seek you out after this is over to finalize our agreement."

Optimistic to think we'll both survive. I didn't say that but I certainly thought it.

We said our goodbyes and she was off to the next faction to offer her help.

Entertaining so many different Factions was draining.

It was so much easier when we were left alone in the North.