The construction, p.1
The Construction, page 1
The Construction
Worldsend Garrison - Book 4
M.D. Krix
Grivs Publishing
Copyright © 2020 Mike Dean Krix
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Thea Nicolescu
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
The Construction
INTRODUCTION
Letter 1
Letter 2
Letter 3
Letter 4
Letter 5
Letter 6
Letter 7
Letter 8
Letter 9
Letter 10
Letter 11
Letter 12
Letter 13
Letter 14
Letter 15
WORLDSEND RULES
SOON...
The Truce
Introduction
Worldsend Garrison
The Construction
Worldsend Garrison Book 4
M.D. Krix
© 2020 Mike Dean Krix
All rights reserved
Artwork by
Thea Nicolescu
www.ikaruna.eu
Published by
Grivs Publishing
INTRODUCTION
The Marsh is not a pleasant place to be. Even if it gives birth to the Oblost—one of the most important rivers in the Empire, crossing the city of Karabia before heading northwest until Massalia—, and the Kamzi—a smaller stream which is the only source of fresh water in the port of Igereiger—, the area is usually avoided by humans.
It had been a lush forest a long time ago, but now the trees are all rotten, with their roots slowly decaying in ponds where frogs and snakes struggle constantly. Centuries of fallen leaves have mixed with dead grass and soil to form a heavy layer of mud. In some places, it is thick enough to swallow entirely a man and his horse.
Children looking for adventures, poachers trying to steal a rabbit or a deer from the hungry wolves, healers gathering strange plants to brew their potions… Often, someone considers he has a good reason to explore the area. Most of the time, those wanderers make it back to civilization, but not always.
Many have disappeared in The Marsh.
Nobody knows exactly what happened to them. Some might have been eaten by the ravenous predators or bitten by a venomous snake. Others probably ended stuck in a mudhole and sank slowly in that deathly trap. And the rest may have simply gotten lost and erred days and night before succumbing to starvation and thirst.
Ancient folk stories tell about the ghosts and malefic spirits haunting this area, but they are mainly meant to prevent children to wander there. Inhabitants of Karabia are mostly educated and know better than believing in such things. Still, they prefer to avoid the place.
They realize that no ghouls or bunyips crawl in the swamp. Yet, they have no reason to go to check if the tales are true.
Even now that the path through The Marsh has been paved, it is rarely used by the people living in the city. Most of them don’t understand why the bailiff decided to improve this road, when the money could have been employed to build a new bridge over the Oblost.
But they don’t ask questions, nor complain about it.
Lately, it is better not to inquire about the things happening south of Karabia. Military operations are being run down there, and people learned not to meddle with such things if they want to go back home peacefully in the evening.
If the Imperial Army is training its warriors in the harshness of the Karabia desert, good for them. As long as they pay for the food, water and other supplies they request from the city, everybody’s happy.
For all those reasons, not a single resident commented when they saw a new regiment of more than one thousand soldiers enter The Marsh with hundreds of loaded wagons.
***
Sigurdur Gustavson is not a soldier of the Imperial Army, despite the fact that he’s heading with them to the Karabia Peninsula. He didn’t like the idea, but it had been an order issued directly by the Emperor. He didn’t even consider arguing against it, that would have been useless and counterproductive.
Even more so because this mission was a great recognition of the work he had done consolidating the gold mines surrounding Keeroonah, in the northernmost province of the Empire. It was an honor, not a punishment.
He never doubted his quality as a civil engineer. He had graduated from the best Imperial University, and contributed to many successful buildings. But he was far from the capital of the Empire. He couldn’t imagine that his skills had reached Otezalp and the ears of some very influential counselors at the court.
When the construction of a fort at the Southern tip of the Empire had been decided, his name was suggested to handle the project. The Emperor took a decision, he couldn’t refuse.
After traveling thousands of miles, he’s now struggling on a poorly made track through a humid swamp where he’s suffocating. He doesn’t want to appear weak in front of the men, so he keeps his mouth shut and wonders for the hundredth time when this will end.
His pale skin seems to be the favorite target of the mosquitoes, and their bites are driving him crazy.
Suddenly, he sees a snake dropping from an overhanging branch and landing straight on the shoulder of the combatant walking in front of him. Shocked and surprised, he squeals and jumps back, bumping into the soldier behind him who loses his equilibrium and falls into the muddy swamp. The smell emanating from the disturbed decaying bog is awful, and the armored infantry man struggling to stand up only makes things worse.
It takes another three combatants to help him back to the road. They all look sternly at Sigurdur, but do not dare to say anything. He’s the Imperial Engineer, and he’s needed in Worldsend. Their mission is to bring him there safely, and this is exactly what they will do.
Feeling stupid, Sigurdur resumes his pace. The soldier in front of him, the one with a snake on his shoulder, is nowhere to be seen. He must have kept walking, indifferent—or unaware—, of the possibly deadly reptile.
Combatants of the Imperial Army are not bothered by such small things.
Realizing that he will have to toughen up if he doesn’t want to be an unnecessary burden to be left on the side of the road, Sigurdur accelerates. He can glimpse some light in front of him. Rumors spread among the troop that they finally made it through The Marsh. This rejoices him. He can’t stand the humidity anymore, he needs some fresh air.
Then, he discovers what is awaiting in front of them.
He had known beforehand that the Karabia Peninsula is a desert; yet he couldn’t imagine such a dry, hot and empty expanse of sand and rock. The heat is suffocating. No trace of life is to be seen anywhere. Already, he feels his skin burning under the blazing sun.
“What did I put myself into?” is the last thought crossing his mind before entering the scorching furnace where Worldsend lies, far from the cold city of Keeroonah where his beautiful wife is cooking a soup made with wild mushrooms and smoked boar meat. His favorite dish.
Letter 1
My dear Alanos,
I knew from the beginning that this mission would be all but a pleasant one. Spending so much time far from you horrified me, and it still does. I miss you with all my heart. But I prepared myself for this, and I can handle this separation. Remembering your smile, your soft touch helps me. Thanks to those memories, I believe I’ll manage to go through those months without you.
I was also aware that the weather here wouldn’t be to my taste. I am now based in the southernmost part of the Empire, in the Karabia Peninsula, far from our home city of Keeroonah. Some might not enjoy the long snowy winters of our region but in summer, when nature blooms in the most incredible way, the land becomes magical. The explosion of colors, of smells, of life is an invitation to happiness.
Up north, we can go fishing for some salmon in the river, listening to the birds singing in the trees, spotting a deer or a fox once in a while…
Nothing like this can be found here.
Just like you, I had learned in the books that the area was a desert. We talked about it before I left. We assumed this would be a bit like the Frozen Lands of Cuatemoc, where vegetation and wildlife are scarce. We believed it would just be warmer.
When we read about the place they call The Marsh, we were convinced it was an exaggeration. We thought that those people in the South couldn’t handle a simple bog, and we were wondering what they would say of our forests during spring’s thaw, when “squirrels have to build canoes,” as we joke up there. This made us laugh. You were so pretty, giggling in my arms.
We’ve been wrong. Awfully wrong.
***
I will not even tell you about The Marsh. Knowing what I witnessed there would only trouble you and cause worry for no reason. I crossed it; it is over. The next time I will have to see those dead trees will be when I’m on my way home, towards you. This will be a much happier time, and maybe things will seem less terrifying.
Just know that our flooded forests and plains are welcoming and easy to travel compared to The Marsh.
Concerning the Karabia Desert … in a certain
The Frozen Lands appear empty for the untrained eye, but they are far from it. Reindeers roam freely there, feeding on the lichens and shrubs in winter, feasting on berries and mushrooms when the days get longer and warmer. Tracks made by foxes or wolves can easily be seen crisscrossing the vast expanse of snow. And humans go there, to hunt or to mine. Some people even live in the Frozen Lands of Cuatemoc!
This is not the case in this peninsula. There is nothing here.
After traversing The Marsh, I could observe only sand and stones until we reached the shore. I didn’t see any single tree. I didn’t see any animal. I didn’t see anything, apart from sand and rock. They told me to watch out for the Desert Scorpion, claiming that it could be deadly.
I believe them, but I spotted none. And I have no clue how such a creature could survive here.
Alanos, my dear, what you must understand is that in this region, not a single source of fresh water exists. No river, no lake, no pond. I do not picture how life could be supported here. As a matter of fact, even when you get near the sea and there is some moisture in the air, nothing grows. Would you believe that even birds are nowhere to be seen?
I can’t fathom why the Emperor wants to build a fort here. I know we are close to the Valkyans—and I understand we must protect our borders from those bloodthirsty savages—, but I can’t imagine that any man could decide to settle in such a hellish place.
I sincerely pity the poor soldiers who will be posted here and will have to spend years in this unwelcoming desert.
***
Sweetheart, neither do I want to scare you. I realize my message could sound alarming, but you have no motive to worry for me. While I do not know why it’s been decided to have a garrison in this forgotten part of The Empire, it makes no doubt that this project is deemed as essential in Otezalp.
I haven’t been sent here alone. Thousands of armed men are present in the area, together with hundreds of skilled workers. Apparently, we have plenty of water and food brought from the city of Karabia and we face no risk of shortage.
I must admit that so far I never worked on a construction site with so many resources. Those are good news. I might be able to finish faster than expected and come back to you before summer ends.
I have to leave you now. I’m about to meet the man in charge here, a certain Colonel Laval, as they told me. I was supposed to see him yesterday, upon arrival, but he was busy with some of the soldiers on the beach. I’ll let you know how things went.
I love you,
Sigurdur
Letter 2
My dear Alanos,
I’m just back to my tent, and I decided to take my quill straight away. My meeting with Laval left me puzzled, and I don’t really know what to do about it. I wonder what you would think of him.
He is clearly an experienced officer, and he’s respected by his men. He proved to be polite, educated, and welcoming, even if he tends to keep some distance with me. I guess he considers that civilians and military do not mix well.
This is fine for me; I am not fond of their restrictions and rules either.
As long as we can collaborate and function efficiently, he can despise ordinary men and I will keep on having contempt for their brainless discipline. Civilized people can work out such disagreements.
After the initial small chat concerning my trip and my settling in the camp, he went straight to business and started to talk about the construction of this fort. I have total liberty to rework and adapt the blueprints made in the Imperial Palace, as long as I respect the general concept. He claims to have some ideas of improvement to be done to the original design that he wants to discuss with me, but insisted that the final decision will always be mine.
He added that the five hundred workers present in Worldsend are under my direct authority. When possible, soldiers will also be helping with the construction and follow my instructions. They, however, remain under Laval’s command. He understands that I might be tired with my trip, but wishes nevertheless for me to start my mission as soon as possible.
“It is of primary importance to the Empire for the fort to be erected quickly,” were his exact words.
So far, everything had gone roughly as I expected. I had been told from the beginning that I would have a workforce of five hundred men, and that I could count on the help of the soldiers there. Regarding the fact that they are in a hurry … well, you know how it is.
I talked to you of all my previous projects, I guess you heard it many times before. They are always in a hurry.
I will be surprised the day someone tells me: “Take your time, I don’t really need this to be built right now. If you don’t finish on schedule, I don’t mind. I might even give you a bonus.”
We talked a bit more about some details relevant to the construction—things like the supply of material and tools—, and I thought our conversation was reaching its end when it took an unexpected turn.
***
“All the wood we have presently comes from the village, but we’ll soon receive more from Karabia. You will get more than you need to build the fort.”
I took me a moment to fully comprehend what he had just voiced. I even thought that I had misunderstood his words, so I asked:
“Did you say something about a village? Which one?”
“Worldsend.”
“Never heard of it. Where is it?”
“It was right here.”
I allowed some time for him to keep on talking, but he didn’t seem eager to give additional information. I was hesitating to ask. I had noticed his use of the past tense, meaning that the village was no more. What had happened? And where were the residents?
Curiosity finally won, and I put the question that was burning my lips:
“Do you mean that the village has been destroyed?”
“Not really, only a couple of buildings were damaged. We dismounted everything carefully. You’ll see that the planks are still good, we already used plenty of them to build our fence.”
“And the villagers, where are they now?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean? You don’t know where they left when you came a disassembled their houses?”
“They were not here when I arrived. Nobody knows for sure where they went.”
All this was starting to be unsettling. There was obviously something more to the story than he was telling me, even if I couldn’t imagine what. The possibility that he was lying to me didn’t cross my mind. I believed him when he admitted having no idea where the villagers left. But I was also convinced that he knew more than what he had shared with me.
I didn’t like to be kept in the dark, so I pushed to be enlightened.
“You don’t know what happened to them, but maybe you have a theory to explain their disappearance?”
“Yes. Indeed, I do.”
“And will you share it with me?”
“I will have to.”
I could see the gloomy look on his face. For sure, something bad had occurred here. Even this man, a colonel of the Imperial Army, seemed to be wary about those events. I was starting to have an idea, and I expressed it.
“Have they been attacked?”
“This is very likely, even if we have no definitive proof.”
“By the Valkyans?”
“I strongly doubt so.”
“Who killed them then?” I almost shouted.
The colonel didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at me with an impenetrable gaze. Maybe he was considering telling me, perhaps he was just despising me for losing my temper, I had no way to guess. We looked at each other for a long time before he said.
“You will know soon enough, Gustavson. For the moment, rest and settle. Ignorance is a blessing, a luxury that you can still enjoy. I will not take this from you until it proves necessary.”
Then, he went back to his desk and started to shuffle through some papers, making me understand that our meeting was over. I would not get more information.
