Chapter 550: Chapter 550

Layla was still cursing as they arrived in Gadobhra. "Damnable world, I should know better. We take a small vacation in the South, and someone decides to raid us in Gadobhra. Some things never change: The best time for a corporate takeover is when your target is focused on another objective, like taking someone else over."

The Baron nodded, but seemed unworried. "A good point, and something we should keep in mind. But I think this has been building up for a while. If I were running Winter, I'd have hit us long ago. Instead, their main army is heading for Northguard, which used to be the main power in the North. We'll worry about them later. For now, we have to play dog catcher and clean up our Barony. We need to..." Billy stopped talking as he saw two small brownies holding huge steaming mugs of coffee. Rory was standing between them. He bowed deeply to the two nobles as the smaller brownies offered up the mugs.

"We thought that a half-pot of our finest Dark Roast Battle Brew would be perfect to greet you with. Strong as a storm giant, and dark as a demon's heart. It's got a taste that makes you angry and focuses your mind on revenge."

Layla didn't hesitate. "Works for me." She tilted her head back, drank deeply, and grimaced. "Damn, I do want to hurt someone. I'm getting my Baronial Guard and heading to Sedgewick." She tilted her head back and whistled, continuing for several seconds. Immediately, there came the sound of her dozen Saurian bodyguards roaring their answer as they sprinted to her side and lined up in two columns. All of them now wore black and red fur-lined leather breastplates to help with the cold northern climate. The local alchemists had enchanted the armor with a minor effect that produced warmth at the cost of a small amount of the wearer's mana. The ACME logo was stitched onto the back, along with the crossed sword and scythe that Layla had adopted as part of her own heraldry.

Each one slammed a fist to their chest and stared at her. She nodded and showed her teeth in a wide smile. "We have invaders in my lands; thousands of wolves, their bigger cousins, and some nasty things called Snarlfangs that are the size of a wagon. We're going to slaughter every single one we can find." They said nothing, but their eyes showed their approval and their excitement. When Layla ran for the city gates, they followed her. Two ghouls who had been lurking nearby retreated and found a deep hole to hide inside. Gadobhra was rapidly becoming too dangerous for them.

Billy sipped his coffee more slowly. "Any other messages?" He'd seen that Rory had a small notepad and a pencil behind his ears.

The head brownie nodded. "Quite a few. The Mayor of Sedgewick sends word that she has fortified the town, and to be careful of the thorns on the walls, the poisoned moat, and the upset smokehouse. Inside the town is safe, but only if you approach across the two temporary bridges."

He carefully checked off something on his notepad and continued, a little nervously. "Three guilds have enquired if the Barony is issuing wolf-killing quests. They are going to defend Sedgewick, of course, because of the guildhall and tavern. They bluntly hint that incentives for killing wolves and bringing in wolf pelts or ears might entice them to go into the woods and surrounding areas. The Mayor regrets that she is out of resources to officially do so."

Billy shrugged, surprising Rory. He'd expect the noble to be angry. A High Fae would have fumed at such a blunt attempt to strike a deal. "Yeah, I can do that. It's work for pay, after all. Can hardly be upset with someone valuing their time. Hmm, three guilds? And I bet there are more around, waiting to see what happens. A little competition is a good thing."

All people visiting or residing in the Barony of Gadobhra and the surrounding lands are invited to take part in a grand contest to see which group can slay the most minions of Winter that infest our beautiful barony. Rewards include unique Titles, Gold, bonus Experience Points, and an extra bounty paid on Snarlfangs. Individuals and Groups may compete in the following categories:

Most enemies killed by an individual: The top ten wolf slayers will be honored and their names enshrined in history. Each person will have their name inscribed on a plaque in Gadobhra commemorating their achievement. The overall winner will gain the title of Champion Wolf Slayer.

Most enemies killed by a Guild or other organization: The group with the highest kill count will be rewarded with Free Dungeon access for a year, and a 20% bonus added to the amount paid for enchanted items sold to the Company Store. The group will receive a plaque to display in their Guild Hall commemorating their achievement.

All wolves, worgs, werewolves, half-breed mutts, snarlfangs, and other canine invaders killed during the Season of the Wolf give double Experience Points!

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"There, that will get them moving. Drains some resources, but this is a war, and you don't win by being stingy. What else do you have for me, Rory?"

"Several more items, your Excellency. A Hound has arrived, inquiring about hunting licenses for Snarlfangs. The Fae Lords suggest an offering of one thousand gold per hunter and a limit of six each. The Ironwood Grove has agreed to act as a sanctuary for the group of young ladies in a delicate condition who have just arrived in Sedgewick. They consider it part of the Treety with Sedgewick. The Legion has dispatched soldiers to defend the Hamlets, and Rowan Keep is preparing for a major assault."

"Thank you, Rory. Tell the Hound that I agree to those terms and I wish them good fortune on their hunt. Send a message to the Keep thanking them for the assistance, but let them know that I'm taking the field and may be hard to contact further." Rory wrote swiftly and handed each of his kinsmen a note. Their shoes sparkled, and they disappeared.

Rory tucked away his notepad. "As always, happy to be of service. My clan will be coordinating emergency services from the tavern in Sedgewick." Before Billy could say anything, Rory also sped away, pushing the loaded coffee cart in front of him.

"Damn, still haven't figured those little guys out, but they make a mean cup of coffee." He took another sip and grimaced. "Really mean."

His favorite death machine stepped carefully from the teleporter. It had fought until out of power, but Ben had been able to give it enough of a recharge to walk back and make it to Gadobhra. Billy pointed to the recharging unit. "Top yourself off, we have work to do, and we're taking the slackers along as well."

Layla said, "If you don't need me for anything else, I think I'll take my guard and head to Sedgewick, then go onward to the Hamlets."

Billy looked around. "Gadobhra will take care of itself. I'll set up a few defenses and close the gates behind me when I take my mechanical murderbots out for a walk. Get going and figure out a way to kill a few thousand wolves." Layla left, and then the workers took off at a run, leaving Billy with his recharging bodyguard and the two engineers manning the teleport stone.

"I don't suppose you two geniuses have any ideas about how to recharge my bodyguards in the field? I think this is going to be a long fight, and I can't be coming back here over and over to fill up their batteries. Something at Sedgewick would be better."

The two looked at each other and conferred in hushed whispers. "Well, we do have a few ideas. I recently had the chance to discuss a recent discovery by a brilliant young lad I've had the joy of tutoring. He devised a new way of storing mana and a unique technique of continuously charging the battery. I think the conditions in Sedgewick might be similar to what he experimented with. Suppose we have your permission to recreate the experiment, along with an acknowledgement that we are doing reckless and dangerous work during a battle and can't be held accountable for unforeseen variables. In that case, I think we might have a solution."

Billy looked from one to the other. Both were quivering at the thought of the project. That was never a good sign. And making sure to cover their asses in case it all blew up. Still, he appreciated the immediate answer to his question. A normal R and D unit would take six weeks for a 'maybe', and then delay while the lawyers too over, after which it would go upstairs, and in a year someone would tell him 'no, can't do that.'

"So it's dangerous, but someone did it before. Did it work then?"

"Oh yes. It worked. Didn't it, my esteemed colleague?"

"Yes, I believe all of the objectives of the experiment were met, and even exceeded."

Billy shrugged, "What the hell. This is Gadobhra, we're an innovative and brave center for the advancement of science, magic, and capitalism. Get it set up in Sedgewick as soon as you can, and if it works, I bet we can find a way to turn a profit on it. I'm sure lots of people have mechanical armies with recharging problems. These guys are good for a couple of hours. Get it set up by nightfall and we'll test it." Billy snapped his fingers, and his recharged bodyguard followed him, leaving behind two flabbergasted mad scientists in his wake."

"Oh, my, Vladimir. Even with my hatred of the nobility, my deep-rooted problems with authority, and my distaste for working for someone else, I can't help but like that man."

"He does seem to be very focused on solving problems and unconcerned with the consequences. He didn't quibble at all over your cowardly attempt to shift the blame away from yourself when you inevitably fail. But that does leave me with a question, Damien, my old friend."

"Just one? I expected a dozen or more, along with some sarcastic barbs. What is it?"

"Where are we going to get a large tank and a few hundred brains?"

Lightning struck the top of the Collegium for Experimental Science and Dangerous Magic. The two grinned at each other and began arguing about the design of their recharging station as they ran to raid a laboratory and recruit a few willing associates.

In the direction of the Rowan Keep, the sky lit up as the Hermetic Shield flared from several hundred bodies that hit the gates and tried to break them down Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on nοvelfire.net