Fire rained down from the sky, as massive meteors were summoned each impact brought down hored after hored of demonic invaders.

Blood thirsters in their deranged madness swatted away knights of men and elf alike, with an effort akin to that of children throwing their toys in a temper tantrum.

Men-women-children all flee to the nearby caves in an attempt to write out the fighting, yet it is within this very caves that an ancient gate long forgotten awaits its call.

Desperate for any form of safety, the people fail to see that one of their smallest separated from their side and to his young eyes a blue glow is met. He hesitantly raises his finger and touches the worldly glow, within seconds a light erupts to the sky.

Times long gone meet with the present and times yet to come turn to the past.

Sadly this act has caught the demon's attention and they begin to flood the caves, however the moment the unworldly lights vanish warriors not seen before emerge from the gate.

A cat man dressed like a noble-a small assassin-a large night-a mage ofelven\human descent, as the boy gazes at them with eyes filled with admiration, the screams of the dying catch the warriors attention.

Seconds later knight-beast men and constructs alike pour thru the gate, all armed and ready for battle.

Gods long forgotten connect to those once unknown and two world must now learn to live with each other, for in these dark times there is only war.

[][]

Shiroe was rubbing his eyes, stacks of paper stood at either side of his desk. Several weeks ago an old teleportation ring was discovered in one of the ruined buildings, it didn't have any designs or shape similar to the old Elder Tales game.

No from what he and hi fellow senior players could tell, it was part of an old attempt to join an online game to game server, but things went downhill and the project didn't ever took of.
No one gave it any real thought however, a few days ago a blue beam shot up straight up into the sky and ripple across. It was like seeing water ripple across a lake, with a single drop waiting to the last second and striking it.

Instantly scouts were sent thru to see what was going on and as luck would have it, it was up to him and by extent his guild Log Horizon.

At first it seemed that they had emerged into an empty cave, then the screaming began. However the teleporter could be used by both N.P.C's and adventures alike, so the moment of the screaming reached them, was the moment they sent out the call for help.

Within moments the guilds of Akihabara moved in to secure the area, it was a good thing too. For the sheer numbers of the enemies, combined with the skills and their elite troops would have overwhelmed them entirely.

The enemy could only be called demons, no that's what they were. Creatures of rage- madness and hatred.

The battle was fierce and unrelenting, they had to rescue the surviving people while at the same time fighting off the demons. Each time the Adventurers died, they would come back to life near the portal that had brought them there.

Now the people they rescued had returned to the village they had fled when the monsters attacked.

The problem was that the entire place was in ruins and whether they liked it or not the adventurers couldn't just leave them in that place. So those that had some free time, they would help the people rebuild anything they could.

During this time three things were discovered, one the people of this new world didn't vanish like their counterparts from the world of Elder Tales. The second the food in this new world was filled with flavor tho it was still lacking, when compared to the ones from earth , it was not completely without flavor.

Specialist cooking skills werent needed for them to actually taste their meals, unlike the world of elder tales that the cooking skill or a cooking apron a special equip item were desperately needed.

The third and final piece of information was that apparently like the world of elder tales this world also had several different species living in it.

''So now we come to this'' shiroe thought to himself, as he looked at the pile of paperwork around him.

Everything from clean drinking water-meats-vegetables-salts-sugars-metals and even material going thru and coming from the portal was being carefully recorded.

It wasn't known to the public but the remnants of a war was found near the cave, well near for an adventurer a heavy distance for a regular person. The dead bodies of several knights both humans and elf, some small people with powerful bodies and even some beast men.

In reality they could have just left things as they were, they could have left the N.P.C's alone and blocked of the entrance to the portal. But the problem was just that they couldn't do that.

There was no way of knowing how many portals they were that connected to this world and it was known to the senior players that there had been several world\games, so it was an absolutely important that they secured any portal that lead to their new home world.

The people used a combination of oil lamps and a form of magical stones to light up the streets, the housed were kept worm by fireplaces. Their main food supplies were live stock and any agriculture they could manage.

Near by stream of fresh water provided drinking water and for rest rooms the people used outhouses that were nothing more than holes in the ground that were later filled when they were full.

The world held no signs of a lost time and in fact it seemed as if it was barely rising from medieval times.

Unlike the world of elder tales that had the remnants of modern day all over, cars-buildings-televisions-radios-holograms-rifles and other lost materials from the lost time.

Elder tales was a game that took place after the end of a great disaster that had brought humanity to the point of near extinction.

To push back the darkness the people created the beast men, people that gave up their human forms taking in animal forms effectively adding their skills and abilities thereby creating a much stronger fighting force.

Tho the elves-dwarfs-humans and the newly created beast men pushed the monsters back they were nearly wiped out and soon were again in the losing side. So they performed a ritual and summoned heroes, this was the original elder tales game.

One day however the new expansion package was realised and somehow someway all of the people playing the game at the time somehow woke up as their game characters. They all still had their same faces, but they were now in different bodies.

Children woke up in the bodies of adults, adults in the bodies of children, mean as women and women as men. Toes that had it where were the beast men as they had lost their human forms and were now in beast human form. They still had hands and feet walked in two legs wore clothes and everything but, with animal features.

It got a little being used to but they made it work.

Now another curve ball was thrown at them, there was no knowing whether there were other players in this world that was recently discovered.

So to keep the portal the adventures [the players] that had the know how created a metal box that had both magic and technological security defenses.

The issue grew when the adventurers saw the state of the town the people lived in, so they offered to help, the city of Akihabara was now comtherable to live in, even tho there were still plenty fallen buildings, many of them were either being rebuilt or brought down do they could be secured.

So as they walked into the village and began to help them rebuild, this new world was primitive but strong. So as the adventures past time in that world they began to take their own materials, food weapons and skills.

Blacksmiths learned of new designs and half strong designs of strong walls to secure the outside of the village.

So several things happened in the time span of only a few weeks, blacksmiths began to build a type of rail, they would build a train that would lead to the caves that held the portal. Trade had already started, the round table the center of the Akihabara's political power had made damn sure not to allow any adventurer to take technology that was to advanced for this new world.

Cooks that saw opportunities went into the new world and had begun to secure their own loyal customers. Healers were called in to see to any disease or mild sickness the people might have needed attending to.

The people had been working with them to create a sewer system, with them restrooms were being designed and being built.

Already the people were beginning to see the leaders of the round table as nobles as when any of them went to see how things were going the guild and a debentures showed a form of respect to them.

People would open the roads or would bow their heads in shows of respect to them.

None of this would have been any real problem and they would have begun to explore the new world however when a group of merchants arrived to the village they began to trade with the people and after they left more and more began to show, it was no secret that they must have spread the word.

The issue was that some people didn't want to leave and began to settle down on the outside of the village wall, the farmers were the ones that had the land that was used for the crops and more often than not theadventures had to stop fighting between the people as the farmers defended their lands.

There were hardly enough animals so the animals from their side of the portal needed to be hunted for meat, that the adventurer traded with the people in the new world.

Shiroe could already see a pattern forming, there was a place that was safe, a place with plenty of food water and a security force that was effective.

Word was getting around and they were bringing unnecessary attention to themselves, the village didn't belong to them, but already the villagers were treating the adventures as if it was their property.

For several days Shiroe was covered in paperwork as he had been forced to take action in the acquiring of multiple materials that would be needed.

This situation spoke wonders as the other guilds were in the same situation, they had to secure their area and the village in the other world. This wasn't a situation that could just be left alone and it was getting worse, work had been given to the people in the construction of the railroad, building of streets and houses.

The village grew away from the farming lands and the construction of a new set of walls was already being started, but it washappening to quickly and something would soon go wrong. There was no if, a growing town meant people and people meant growing unrest.

Thieves-rapist-slave trader and monster attacks were being taken into accounts and preparations were being taken.

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The sounds of the clucking sounds of the horses walking as they dragged the carriage filled with good of all kinds. What was left of them anyway, they had left their home and their old friends behind.

His and his family's feet hurt and the little ones rode on the carriages, life was hard but liveable but then things started to change.

The constant attacks from the green skins and the strange plagues that came back and forth during the time the seasons changed. He and his family weren't the only ones leaving, slowly they were joined by more and more people and in that form they joined up with several other people that were in the same situation as them.

The sun was hot and it bore down on them its intense heat, still they couldn't stop, stopping meant staying in an open area and that meant they were easy prey.

Tho they didn't know their destination at least at first they encountered another cariban, this one was made of merchants. They told them about a village that was growing, it had beast men and some mages, so if they could stomach living around them then they could rest there.

It took five days to even see the smallest glimpse of the village, look to the light at the distance the merchants said.

It was like seeing starts on the land.

The group had no choice but to encourage each other to keep walking, the hot sun that made the walking unbearable, the water was hot and it was difficult to keep the food without spoiling. The cold nights were nearly freezing and the blankets that were meant to be sold were now trained with the people for either clothing or food.

The dogs horses and few strong boy and men, would go back and forth making sure that no opportunist would take advantage of the people's exhaustion. Already there were animals and some slaves hunted down before they could move.

His dried lips from the lack of water and his tired feet were met with the sight of green grass, fields full of crops animals being watched by shepherds. His stomach growled just by seeing them, but still he soldiered on.

The smell of water and the taste of the cool wind that came with it made his senses scram with relief.

He turned to see his wife and children and noticed that from the corner of his eyes that his fellow travelers were reacting the same way. The houses with their riders went up ahead in pairs to greet the village guard, to inform them that the people were coming.

The city walls were to low for any real defence and there was a strange shape to it, it seemed as if it was moving away from the river, as opposed to growing around it like it should have. Then it hit him as they slowly moved forward, the wall wasn't the main city wall in fact it was one that was slowly growing because there were already people settling down outside the village.

From the looks of it the people of the villageweren't very welcoming.

However a group of young boys and girls walked up to them accompanying the men that went up ahead.

A small redhead with long red hair, she dressed like a village girl from a humble up bringing however, the staff she held was that of a druid. She smiles at them warmly and as she looked at them she began to look at the people and noticed that one of the horses had a large cut on one of its legs.

The moment the small red head touched it, a green glow showed from her and and instantly healed it.

Instantly one of the men moved in toseparate the small witch from the animal, hoping to spare the creature from any curse the witch might inflict on it.

However the moment he placed his hands on the girl a boy dressed in grey armor similar to that of a knight caught her before she hit the ground.

He saw that several of the stronger men of the group rush in but stopped for some reason, only to immediately fall to the ground. Behind them was a small girl dressed in tight revealing clothes, her eyes were cold and uncaring.

One word reached his lips. ''Assassin''

''If you wish to be able to rest here, you will be advised not to start any trouble.'' a girl wearing a white dress of unknown design, that made her look as a priestess.

Her eyes were firm but kind. ''I understand that you are tired and hungry, but if you try anything again'' she said as a set of wards began to glow all around her.

A boy with blond hair, holding a wizard staff dressed as if he was taught several different kinds of spells based on the gear he was wearing.

''Those of you that need medical attention or are sic. Please come this way and those of you that want to find a place where you can settle down, you can follow my friends over there.'' the young man spoke similar to a noble.

He just stood there the only thing that he could do was stand there as he remembered the warning from the merchants. ''There are mages and beast men there''

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2
A small patch about the size of three wagons was given to each of the people, the children were kept near. As the man kept an eye on what remained on his goods, he began to see what had spoiled and what was still sellable.

Near the area where he was now settling down was a large hole was being filled with various different kinds of smooth stones. Men and boys worked under the hot sun, from the hole eight paths stretched from it, tho they were all still being dug, the sheer deepness of them all made a full grown man be covered up to his waist.

Small children would run up and down the paths, tho some of the workers did in fact become angered by the children's actions, many of them saw their acts as just that children playing.

The hot sun was the very reason why he chose to soldier on and leave his old home, though the plagues did infact have a piece in his decision, it was the growing drought that made him leave before the situation became to unbearable to live in.

The singing of a young girl reached his ears, her voice was sweet yet kind and somehow appeared to ease the people's exhaustion. She had long brown hair a green cloak and a lute that she used to play her melony.

He could feel the thick sweat roll down his forehead, as his clothes became tight with the sweat that now drenched them.
1
In Akihabara the round table was having a deep meaning its meaning was just as important to the one they had when they had first formed this united force between the strongest guilds.

''We managed to settle the food and material problems for now. I'm afraid that if people keep arriving we will soon be exhausting our own'' Shiroe informed the rest of the group.

''We need to get the people on the other side to begin to pick up their own weight'' Krusty the guild leader of D.D.D, one of the combat guild added in.

''The good thing is we are already to begin to prepare the water system. There is a river nearby, but we don't know how many people downstream depend on it and messing with it could and would cause our own problems to increase.'' Seta Soujiro, leader of the west wind brigade.

''There is also the issue with both our people and the people on the other side. The smaller guilds will soon start getting too big for themselves and won't want to listen to us.
The same could be said about the people, if the place keeps growing crime will soon begin'' Isaak, the leader of the Black sword guild added in.

''Then the situation is simple we all take turns going in and out of both towns, soon the train leading to the portal should be under construction.
So all we have to do is get the people to start working in several different kinds of things, we don't have any guarantee that the portal will stay open and the boy we found only did he just touched it.'' Rodrick, leader of the Rodrick said as he tried to calmed down the mood.

''True but we should all be present for the test run of the water system, even if we still don't have the waterways filled with concrete or some kind of stone just seeing if the paths maintain themselves would help.

Plus it would be a good idea for us to see the people and get a better grasp on things'' Shiroe, leader of Log Horizon guild finished as he got of his seat.

''Well time to go see the new world and with any luck we might just be able to leave it alone'' Krusty said as he began to walk out of the building.

1
Something was happening the workers were ordered out of the paths they were digging in, more and more soldiers and beast men were gathering around the hole inthe ground, that was filled with the smooth stones.

His curiosity wasn't unique to him, as several people were staring and some even began to gather around the warriors. Mages in their various cloths and magic staffs-men and woman dressed in overly revealing clothes stood ready as if awaiting an order.

Soon the sounds of whispering and brief gasps caught his attention.

What his eyes met soon made his heart race both in fear and of respect. Knights and warriors along with mages walked in, unlike those from before their eyes held a posisi of experience and their presence was of sheer power.

Without words ar any form of a sign, the mages cast spells that made water rush up into the sky, while at the same time remain in the hole with the smooth stones.

The warriors and some of the healers casted a mixture of cold spells and froze more and more of the water, they did this for five times and for five times the water washed away the dirt and mood from the paths that had already been dug in.
As the spells came to an end, the light of sworlding colors could be seen from a distance. As the light of the sun hit the massive tower of ice.

Soon as the town and the people began to settle in and a form of tranquility began to settle in, merchants and those that simply sought shelter began to spread the word about the slowly growing town.

The lights of colors in the sky, combined with the lights that made the town seem as it was covered in stars at night. That even as it was barely growing and its youth the people began to call it the Jewel.

The man himself didn't know this in fact he was only aware that the area around him had drastically cooled down. Already children were jumping into the water trying to cool off, only to run back out saying how cold the water was.

Still the man couldn't help but feel as if he was in the presence of a powerful beast, one that could tear him apart. But that was the thing this wasn't just one beast, there were several, people were already bowing their heads to these people and whoever they were they were more than dangerous, that alone was dangerous.

Then a chill ran down his spine and his eyes met with those of a man with short blue hair, a long white sage's cloak and a large staff. He was more then obviously a mage, he wore a brown shirt with green pants and a pair of boots that were slightly darker brown.

This man's eyes, made the man feel as if he was being seen straight to his very soul, however there was something about the mage's eyes. No the they weren't directed towards him, no they were directed to a bird straight behind him.

It was as if the animal had noticed this as well and had immediately taken of into the air.

A swords man walked up to the mage and they exchanged words the man couldn't understand what they said to each other but there was definitely something going on.

Still time would go on as smoothly as possible and the man soon found himself being able to trade, his cloth for other materials. Work was found by several of the men collecting stones and digging the paths that would soon be the new roads, they were in turn filled in with the stones and patted into each other.

Several of the warriors would often watch from above a carriage and if something was of they would go down and even even out the path.

The homes for the people were being built by the people themselves, they all were told to help each other out, food-water and anything they might have needed was found by the people who were working together.
This arrangement worked only because the warriors could be seen walking all around them and anyone was injured or fell sic they would heal them in an instant.

Several times the warriors themselves helped build the homes-roads-restrooms-kitchens and some of the furniture. The fact that the people were working together was the sole reason the work was going by so quickly.

If an issue happened then one simply had to speak to one of the warriors.
The city walls were growing and were soon nearing completion, yet no one could or would believe the speed the word of the town's existence was spreading.

The lights in the sky that made a swirling rainbow made several people seek just what was causing it, others heard of a town away from any of the human controlled territories was not only surviving but flourishing.

Still others seeking to see if the stories of beast men, elves and dwarfs that lived with the people and treated them as equals was real.

All that saw the town or simply walked into it and left called it the same thing, the town was a growing Jewel and not everyone that heard of it had good intentions in their minds

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3
The town had changed much since the adventurers had arrived and if anyone were to ask the people that lived in it a long before the new arrivals had come, they would tell you of a different time.

Long gone were the dirt roads that had the fifth of the excrement from the chamber pots emptied by the people, the out houses that were a luxury were now replaced by what was now known as public restrooms.

The roads were cleaned up by the people themselves and the adventurers brought in strange stones. Together they began to dig into the ground and they began to place the stones making the streets into a beautiful white stone floor.

The interior of the protective walls were rebuilt using the storage rectangular stone [Bricks] and several of the adventurers began to draw a portrait on it. It was not but a woman with wings her hands placed together as if she was in prayer.

The ruined homes were remodeled and repaired, the people exchanged meet, for the strange stone in order to help them rebuild their homes.

Unbeknownst to the people, the leader of the town had made a deal with the adventurers.

Keep an eye on things, both the people and any materials that are brought in or go out.

The adventurers had no real way ofmonitoring the town and the townspeople were at the adventurers mercy. They looked human but no human could fight demons to a standstill on a one on one fight.

The people soon lost their fear of the adventurers and with the arrival and growth of the town along with the growing wealth and beauty. Made the people more than willing to listen to the adventurers.

At the center of the town there was a small fountain one that was in a near perfect circle and after the tower of ice was created, the adventurers all gathers around it.

Ten heads stood and awaited any problems or issues the people might want to say to them. Anyone with half a brain could see that these were the true power behind the adventurers, or at least the ones no one would dare to go against.

Tho few people did voice some concerns and even went as far as to ask for somethings, yet for the townspeople many of them saw this as, the adventurers displaying their position of power.

If one were to put it into words, it would be. We are still in control, we are the ones you don't anger.

Still the people did as they were asked and even tho the people were still arriving, they had begun to notice a certain amount of things.

For example the common whore that one usually saw in the streets or a brothel had some extremely fit and well endowed woman.

Some of the new workers that had arrived, along with some of the merchants or people that sought to build a better life, there were people with a matching necklace or a specific ring.

Also there was a rumor going around, shadows that move where there is no light and woman asking certain questions when they are in bed. Some of the merchants were now beginning to grow bolder, for example drawings of the adventurers and what they were capable of.

What skills they had and so one. Normallythis would have stayed hidden and no one would have known about it, but there was adebt the people had with the adventurers.

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1
Times were changing and even tho he and his family were new to the area they already felt as if they belonged there. They had been present when the walls were being built around the inner town and seeing just how quickly the land changed under the guards watch.

There was little doubt amongst the people that the guard was blessed or had of some form of holy influence.

He young men that went to work out on the fields, in the construction of a metal road, spoke of the strength of some of the guards displayed. Wheels with spikes [gears] that when they were connected with each other and placed a several other metal pieces of steel and other wheels with spikes they made things move.

Merchants came in and went allowed trade to grow amongst the people, while those that could sought to learn the skills of the farmers that would take them under their care. Others would seek out the workstations of some of the adventurers and try to learn their secrets.

Unlike several of the towns-villages or even some main kingdoms, this town had a unique nature to it. THere were various people and creatures living here now and they all got along, granted the occasional pickpocket or miscreant would cause trouble but the guard usually took care of them.

Punishment was carried out in simple forms, if the crime was high the person in question would be made to go out and help map out the surrounding area.

There was no mystery that they lived away from all other kingdoms, so those maps were essential, yet simply making them was a dangerous task.

Villages and other small towns only gathered because no rain had com and so they sought refuge in this ever growing Jewel.

If the crime had been low, then that person would be made to clean the poop that the animals dropped on the streets for the entire day and night. Many thought that this was a cruel punishment considering that once a small part was clean, an animal would walk over it and it would spread the thith it had on its hooves.

But that was the point, after a day with no advancing people thought twice about doing the thing they did. Either that or they thought of ways not to be caught again.

Slowly people were arriving more and more, life was hard and many chose to take the challenge of living so far away fromthe kingdoms, simply because it was on the outskirts where the land was mostly fertile and food could be grown.

Most of the monsters left the small towns alone be cause they weren't a threat, but now the Jew was growing more and more beautiful and the man knew that it would only be a matter of time before they attracted the attention of an undesirable being.

The sounds of gossip combined with those of children or was it the vigorous voices of youth caught his attention. As he turned to look he saw the group of young people that had greeted him-his family and the people with them when they arrived.

The swordsman-the druid-the magician-the mage and with them was the young girl he had seen singing on several occasion.

As they walked passed some of the merchants, many of which bowed their heads in a form of respect and greeting, other said in a more enthusiastic voice as just to how great their vegetables or clothing was. The group of young adventurers simply waved at them and ket moving on.

As they moved about the crowd many of the people would either move out of their way allowing them to pass, while others simply chose to ignore them. The man couldn't help but note their strange clothing.

While true that by physical appearances only the swordsman and the mage seemed to have any real form of familial resemblance, that immediately made people note that they were in fact siblings, the others however did not.

Different hair colors, skin color and even i their forms of speaking was not unique but different from each one of them.

As he watched them walk by the people he noted that they stopped and looked at te work some of the men were doing in the water ways. After a brief chat with some of them they cheerfully turned and walked away.

The waterways were changing, they didn't stay as dirt paths that made way for the water to pass thru, no the workers used the smooth stone to block the water from going into one of the paths and immediately after the water was gone, smooth stones were used to line up the walls of the path.

One by one the paths were being completed and when they were finished, the water went thru them and it seemed like it would sparkle. It was clear water and with the stones it seemed as though it somehow glowed a light blue.

Still the sight of the young people wasn't an unusual sight, no it was the children in strange outfits, that could be seen walking around from time to time.

It was when the merchants gathered and talked about various things that it became known that the sight of the children or the adult adventurers was not a rare sight. No most people simply couldn't see them sometimes, as they seemed to simply blend in.

3
The sounds of hooves moving about the now dried dirt, several knight their armors glimmering as the light of the sun was reflected on the. The words that they heard still rang within their minds yet, they themselves could only fight thru the harshness of the world around the.

''It is a town that is growing amongst the cursed lands away from the empire's rule.''

''Men-women-children, walk amongst the twisted forms of the beast men.
Mages and builders joined together, those that wish to learn join together and are teaching the people their ways.

Forges of steel-wood and stone have taken parentheses and are creating wonders, those that have one under the builders wings are creating trinkets that move about on their own.

It is said amongst the merchants, that the sky swirls with colors filled with life and at night the town seemed as if the stars themselves had descended to it.

There are warriors there Dwarfs and elven alike, if there are nobles which they seem they are. They treat the people as their equals''

Those words were said to the king and in a show of curiosity and strength he had dispatched them to see if this story was true.

All over the sighs of a deep drought was ever present, entire villages abandoned and the skeletal remnants of animals that had died from starvation and hunger were everywhere. Yet as they ventured deeper the signs of life were getting scarcer but at the same time growing in number.

A beaten path showed the way t go, along it were the remnants of abandoned carriages filled with the last of those people's worldly possessions.

Yet as they looked to the sky, they saw a swirling light of colors in the sky and in the uncaring nights they saw the stars at the distance.

It was like if hope was ever present there, as the heat only grew the taste of cool air was like a gift from sigmar himself.

Then they saw it, green fields replaced the dead lands, cool air took away the dried winds and the sounds of children laughing greeted them, chasing away the choking silence of the world.

Woman went about taking water and bread to the men who were toiling away, while young boys could be seen swinging their sticks in union as they learned to use the sword. An army was forming right before their eyes.

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As theytook in the sights of the ever prosperous town of jewel, they noticed how some people didn't even acknowledge their presence. Normally this would be seen as an act of heavy disrespect, but these people new not about the empire or any of the kingdoms and so they had no reason to give or care about them.

A group of woman and young children ran up to them, their faces filled with smiles and their cheeks plump. No doubt the stories of the blessing to this jewel were shown to be present.

Buckets filled with water and even tho they didn't have any cups for them to drink, themen took the water with their hands and drank their fill. One by one the woman gavethe knights water to drink and the children gave the horses their fill.

It was like God's blessing the cool drink as it touched their lips and went down their throats.

One of the younger members of the order eager to be of use, was about to open his bag only for one of his fellows to stop him.

''Miss we have come to speak to the ruler of this town'' the knight leader said.

''Leader of the town I am afraid I don't know who that might be.'' the village woman answered him

''Like yourselves we've only recently arrived here, but if you must speak to someone of authority there are the adventurers they're the one that keep the peace here'' she said as she pointed at a group of children dressed in an odd mixture of clothing.

As he dismounted his horse and bowed his head to the the woman in a form of gratitude. He turned to look at the young boys and girls the woman had signaled to, as he was about to take his first steps towards them, he heard the laughter of children.

Normally this would have been filtered thru as just another sound of the town's own music, however it was the light noise that accompanied the laughter.

Metal, metal of reinforced boots-metal of steel hitting the hips-metal of reinforced armor moving rapidly as if someone was running.

He hesitated not by fear or un eez but out of curiosity.

Soon his eyes were met with the sight ofvarious children barely at the height of his wrist all covered in armors or strange clothing and with them men and woman human and not, but what caught his attentions wasn't the fact that the children were of elven-beast men and human descent, but the eez that they moved in their heavyclothing.

One of his subordinates handed him a piece of paper roode up and he began to move he now knew who to give the message to, or at least who could direct him towards the right direction.

His men followed as they began to to dismount their horses while leaving only a few behind to make sure no one stole them or that the animals simply wandered away.

One by one they met his steps and were met with a sight few could not appreciate. Two women made their way thru the crowed of people , the children ran back and forth and the woman's eyes were kept on all of them.

No there were more than two woman yet his eyes and that of several of his mes eyes were looked on the two alone one had long green hair-pich colored skin-a large set of breast and a thin figure. Yet it was her bright smile that brought in joy all around her and her gentle hazel eyes that drove him to her, however her ears, her ears were what made him stop.

She was an Elf.

Her long white robe-blue dress black tights and brown boots, signaled her position of someone high in position. Yet she was an elf and one that seemed to be surrounded with children.

''Could she be the mother of some of theEleven children'' he asked himself, but it was believed that the elves could barely have children at all.

The woman that accompanied her was certainly human but she was no less beautiful. Yet where the elven woman gave of the feeling of freedom and joy, this one gave the feeling of familiarity and self control.

She had a set of spectacles, long blond hair-a white blouse-a purple tight skirt and shirt the same color.

There was no doubt this woman was someone similar or was herself a professional for a cort.

''Excuse me but I'' he began to say as heapproached the pair of woman only for the crowed of people to suddenly become thicker as they began to move about more and more.

Looking closely, he noticed that the majority were men, all of which were either covered in dirt r in mood. The ones making the paths for the water no doubt.

When the cowed finally cleared he saw that the woman-the children and even the young boys and girls were gone. He had missed his chance and now had to find someone in a position of authority again.

''Excuse me, you don't seem to be from around here. May I help you'' he heard a man say.

As he turned to see who it was, he was met with cold calculating eyes, the like of which he had seen in few and rare military and political leaders. Each time he had seen those cold eyes, the person in question had already had more than a dozen ways to fight or manipulate the situation.

''Forgive me for not introducing myself my name is Shiroe. Can I help you''the man said.

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There was a silence for a brief instance, few people can comprehend just how much the two men were capable of gaining from each other in the brief instance they had met.

''Are you the one in charge of this town, if not would you be so kindly as to tell me where to find the one that is'' the night leader said

There was a brief pause as if the man in front of him was considering his question, or perhaps considering just weather he should give him the right answer.

''This town isn't ruled by one particular individual, so I'm afraid that you'll need to speak to everyone when they are together , if it's something extremely important'' the man answered him.

It made sense if this place was indeed a creation of mixed race then they all must have form of control here.

''However if you need something I could listen to your request right now'' the man named Shiroe finished answering him.

''I take it that you are one of the ones in charge of this town then'' he asked the Shiroe

''Yes'' Shiroe answered

''Is there a place we can have this conversation in private'' he asked Shiroe's

''I'm afraid that such places are extremely limited at the moment, but I know a place that no one will bother us or attempt to listen in. Follow me please'' Shiroe answered him, as he began to walk.

They moved in deeper into the town, the buildings weren't any different then throws he had seen before, however what caught his attention was how clean the streets were. No doubt some sort of sewer system had been put in place, so people didn't empty theirchamber pots into the streets.

There was a group of children some youths and even a few of the elderly watching a man in a white robe showing them how numbers worked.

Addition, subtraction and even some multiplication and division. That was something to be looked into, higher forms o learning was something the nobles kept to themselves, here it seemed anyone could simply join in. As a boy that had no shoes-shirt and only wore a torn cloth to cover his underside sat down.

Immediately the robed man walked up to him and threw his white robe on him, the boy looked perplexed, but some words from the man and the boy put the rob on.

As they continued to walk merchants began to loudly say how great their merchandise was, while others showed them their clothing -=-jewels-alcohol and so forth however when they saw the man that went ahead of them they immediately became quiet and humble.

This man was indeed someone of power, that was both feared and respected.

They stopped close to a large blue crystal tower, however as he and his men noted the cold air and the water that seemed to rushfrom it. They saw that it was a large pillar of ice, no doubt enchanted.

This was the source of the town's water supply.

''I will make this brief'' he began ''The empire is aware that it has no control or rule over the people and whatever else you have here, however we would like to secure a hold here if possible within the town as well.

As you know the area around here is between the many dangers and securing a stronghold and an early warning system has been difficult.

Res assure your people-the land andwhatever else that is yours won't be messed with'' he said to Shiroe.

To a lesser men he would have thought that the kind smile combined with the gentle look, Shiroe had were one of weakness and gullibility. However he didn't make captain for being so stupid as to belief surface appearances.

Those eyes had already asserted his and his men's strength and Shiroe was certain he could win if it came down to it. However those ears moved every time he said or utter one of the keen words he had chosen or at least when he chose his world wisely.

''I'm afraid I'll have to speak to my associates but I'm afraid that if you intent is to control this town or the area around it it will be difficult to accomplish'' shiroe answered him, the threat all to present.

''We meant no disrespect, we are aware of your people's capacities. Just looking at the people and how prosperous this place is is proof of that. Considering the dangers of these lands'' he answered , however his hand was already easing into his sword just incase.

''I see. We all heard the stories, some families can't even feed their children and some even sell them just to survive the droughts or the uncaring winter.
Constant oger-cannibal and the occasional barbarian raid'' Shiroe answered as he turned to look at the blue tower of ice.
''There is a stream that cuts thru these lands, however it itself is drying p so I'm afraid this tower won't hold up for long. May I ask you if that day were to ever happen what would happen to these people would the empire take them in, just as we would take you in if you were one of them'' shiroe asked the captain.

A morality test. Would you do the same for us as we would do for you?

''I'm afraid I do not hold such power but I have seen your people are quite capable, there is a place in the empire for them should that ever come to pass'' he answered, his voice held no signs of doubt

''I see….I'm afraid that we don't have any ins in this town and the only place we have open are in the taverns. For obvious reasons those places don't exist around here.

I still have plenty of work so feel free to move about the town'' shiroe said to them as he began to turn and walk away

''Waite, take this it is a message that we were entrusted to give you'' he told shiroe ''I canassure you that none of us have looked into it''

''I hereby declare that if you are good people and accept our offer as king, I present to you these men to help and aid you in the creation of a fighting force capable of helping defend the town of Jewel.

Please take them as a sign of good will from the empire to the growing kingdom of Jewel. This is no ill intent or any form of display of power, we simply wish to show that we can achieve greater strength working together''

Shiroe raised his an eyebrow another curve ball ''Enjoy the sights gentlemen.

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After leaving the knights behind to look at the town, with any luck hey would get the idea that there was nothing of any real value here and so they would report back to their higher ups just that.

He placed his hand near his right ear and began to speak ''Naotsugu, have any of you guys had any luck?''

''No unfortunately no man, I've talked to the others and none of them have found anything either. I'm afraid we're going to have to make more of those pillars'' Naotsugu answered Shiroe back.

''Thanks be careful out there'' Shiroe answered Naotsugu.

Telepathy an ability exclusive to adventurers, regardless of who they maybe. By placing your hands on the right side of your head and concentrating on anyone in your friends list. Unfortunately anyone that is not in your friends list is unreachable, normal people and some exclusive individuals are incapable of being reached by this skill.

For example if a person is a person of the land or and N.P.C native to the world they are unreachable by this power and adventurers that aren't in one's own friends list then they aren't reachable because you have no idea just who they are.

For this reason a friends list and invitation to be added to a friend list is needed for this.

Shiroe rubbed between his his eyes in frustration, [get involved to much and the people become overly dependent-do to little and people suffer-cause problem and eventually die.

If they act too quickly then situations like the town growing from a village to a town happens, now the kingdoms have more then likely gotten wind of their existence, the knights are proof of the. Hopefully no one considers them any real threat or with anything and the empire only wants to get the town so they can secure a hold out here,

If they act to slowly then the people begin to starve and they expose themselves to monster and raider attacks]

Shiroe felt a bump on his left leg when he looked down he noticed a woman was on her knees desperately trying to pick up some oranges she had been carrying.

He must have bumped into her when he was deep in thought, the woman's hands were erratic, as if something had terrified her.

As he began to fill her basket with each orange he noticed that some of the people were keeping their distance and others were even whispering to each other. ''Sorry I must have been to deep in thought'' Shiroe said to the woman.

She looked at him confused, her eyes held a lot of fear in them ''N...no my lord it was I, you didn't do anything wrong it was all my fault'' the woman said as she lowered her head.

''...i see, well then we both made a mistake'' Shire smiled at the woman, well carrion with your day. He said as he began to walk away from the woman.

[Do to much and the people begin to fear you, it seemed like there was no right answer and everything was a needed answer]

He began to walk past one of the makeshift hospitals\clinics, some men and woman were coming in and leaving. He didn't like to believe it but several healers-midwives and some people that knew and were willing to teach this things to other people, had all joined it, forcefully making it permanent.

Another building was being built, but that took time and there was only so many things that could be done at once.

The trade guilds of that the adventurers had had secured here were now being used by several of the merchants that came and went. So far potions-stones and some of the basic weapons were the main trade item going out and what was coming in was both spices and fruits.

[Somany issues and each one needed to be looked into incase it becomes unneeded or it becomes a liability. The trade guilds have people that talk too much and hold no loyalties to the people and much less the town]

He passed a group of woman that had a group of young girls and some men and boys with them. Brothels had opened up and with those brothels taverns that took advantage of the nearby traide. The woman's children would work in the taverns moving crates or filling bottles. That way gaining additional income.

Their mothers and some of their fathers were sex workers, but here it seemed like it was just another job.

His ears caught the sound of wings flapping and his eyes homed into a bird one of several that had been seen. It was because the birds all had stats of attack and defense, this meant that they were the familiar servant of someone.

Up until now any animal that didn't attack or had any intention of doing anything was just dismissed, they had the attack and defense bars but they were all in active. These birds however, all of them had the attack bars lightened up.

Someone or something was keeping eye on them from the distance. Killing the bird would only serve to alert them that they had been discovered and drive them deeper into hiding. No it was better to wait and let them make their move.

4
On the other side of the portal a meeting between the Round table members and a representative of the people of the land was being held.

Princess Rayneshia held onto the sides of her dress as tightly as possible, only a few times had the Adventurers openly called for a meeting and each time it had to do with something extremely important and dangerous.

Requesting the barrier that protected their town in order to stop a serial killer or preparing for an act of war one that she asked them for.

''Well cut straight to the point, a few months ago a portal opened up in one of the old buildings. In reality we all had seen it and even some of the people of the land used to use it as target practice when they were children.

Throwing rocks at it, from what they tell us it never activated'' Eins said as he tried to make things clear to the princes

''Except that a few months ago it activated and released a huge amount of magic into the air.
When we went to investigate, we were met with demons an armie of them
As of right now we are securing the area around the portal and area helping the people on the other side'' Michitaka of the Oceanic Systems said to the
princes

''I see, Silver sword had had the same issue, however that encountered a place completely frozen and the people there were how should we say it. Very militaristic.'' Regan the royal wizard\scholar added his own two cents.

''So what can you tell us?'' Michitaka asked regan.

''They came to the same conclusion you did, under no circumstances can these portals be taken lightly and any found need be taken as if an army of enemies was on the other side.'' Regan answered

''So how are things on the other side'' the princess asked

''So far we've helped the people and they ll seem to be prospering. '' Charasin of shopping district eight answered

''Very well I wish to see this town and only then can I make my full decision'' the princess said more out of curiosity than anything else.

''Prinses please reconsider, we can take me there, but one of the issues is what if the portal closes and if you're attacked.''

''I see, well I still need to inform my father of these events and seeing as all of you have this under control, I'll inform the people to report any portals or magical objects found.'' Princess Rayneshia said as she got up and began to walk away.

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3
As the mage known as Shiroe left them to wander about, he felt an un ezz when the man read the letter. No doubt he and his men had been handed over to the town, it was a usual tactic, teach the people how to defend themselves and in turn gain the town loyalty.

It was a simple yet effective tactic, it was anything if not reckless, for the leaders of the towns could send hi and his men to their deaths and no harm would come of it

However the payoff was worth the risk. Now they had a chance of learning and getting a better understanding of the people and their defenders, along with that the skills and layout of the town and the surrounding area.

They began to move about and for the first time they began to truly take in the sights.

The town was nothing special, by all means it had its uniqueness for sure, but it wasn't anything to stop and wow over.

The first thing his men noticed, tho it shamed him for not picking it up. Was the fact that most small children and children along with youths, were all still close to their families.
Normally in times like these, it was normal for parents to sell their children, in order for them to survive.

The family would have extra income and the child though their life would be harsh. They would at least survive.

As they continued to walk they began to see something that distinguished the adventurers from each other, though they all shared a uniqueness to themselves. Like all tiger faced ones had a marking on them or something similar, there was something more apparent then that hard to see one.

Capes, most adventurers wore capes that had a shield of arms unique to their group. A design that marked both adults and children to a respective house.

Those worn by the children were more colorful, almost as if saying that this child is not to be touched. Yet speaking of thechildren, they all seemed unusually fit for their age, even the plumped ones seemed as if they already had some battle experience.

There was a clear distinction between the people, newcomers might never see it, but those with keen eyes could. The waterways, were not only giving water to the people, they were also guiding the direction of the town's growth.

His eyes met the elven woman's form once again, however she was in the arms of an unknown knight with beaten grey armor, the two shared a look filled with passion.

There was no doubt to it, the two had a relationship and perhaps were on the verge of a political marriage. That was something that needed looking into, incase the need to drive a wedge between the adventurers wasneeded.

They spent the next ten to twenty minutes walking and seeing the town and to no surprise there wasn't much to talk about. So they simply returned to their comrades who were all still in the same place they left them behind.

Do o the fact that there weren't any inns, they decided to camp out for the night. Little by little they saw the lamps begin to light themselves. As the shops closed, they saw how a slight mist would settle in and just how the lamps light seemed to carry itself along the mist.

The people picked up their products and took them in for the night, while the men that would work on the waterways were replaced by a group of men that worked on another set of paths. It was a set of paths that had stones just as smooth as the water ways, however this one didn't seem to be in any hurry to be built.

Where the waterways had dirt paths with clear water, until they were replaced with stone thereby helping keep the water clean. These ones however were being made and when the paths were made smooth stones were placed to seal it. There were a set of covers place on top of these path ways.

As knights they watched the empty night pass quietly and saw just how different the town was at night from how it was during the day.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention, to the knight captain was well trained, his heart nearly stopped when he realised that the footsteps were right next to him and his men.

The sound of something heavy and the warm smell of a soup, drove their attention to the center of their camp

However the sight they were greeted by was one few could have possibly imagined, it was a cat, no a cat man. He wa dressed like a noble, however he was serving a bow of warm stew and had already several more filled .

''If I could sneak up behind you boys, then you need better training'' the cat man said as he served the food.

''Who are you'' the knight captain asked

''My goodness where are my manners. My name if Nyanta and you sir have already spoken to my associate earlier. Consider this our welcoming festivity.'' Nyanta answered the captain.

''It is a pleasure to meet you sir'' the knight captain answered Nyanta.

''I'll cut straight to the point, the letter we received, stated that you and your men should stay here in order for us to try and make better relations. However we're not keen in keeping people against their will, so you and your men are welcome to stay, so I'll leave you for tonight, so you can think about your decision.'' Nyanta, said to the knight captain.

As Nyanta walked away, they beach took a single bow and began to eat, however they noticed that the there was still plenty of extra left inside the pat, if any of them wanted another serving.

As they ate their meal in silence, they began to notice certain oddities, not inside the town but near it, oddities that explained just why the cat man was so capable of moving around so quietly.

Their danger senses, a skill learned over the years, one that had proven itself more than essential alerted them of danger. Over and over again their senses told them they should wake up, or simply sleep lightly.

Wild animals such as wolves or some wild cattle abandoned to their fate by their owners, to whispering fiends would go to the edges of the town where the waterways stopped. However as the light of day began to rise, they were met by a small tho predictable sight, on the roof and in the edges of some walls or homes, several guards.

Assassin tips watched over the town at night.

However as the day set in several people began to arrive, faces burnt by the sun, hungry and covered in dirt. They carried several wounded and others fainted, dehydrated and near death.

The drought had gotten to them.

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2
The people were immediately given water and taken to the nearest healer and some kind of potion was given to them. However after they were fully healed and managed to gain their strength, they would be on their own.

Shiroe knew this and even tho he did feel bad for them, their situation wasn't all that different from a lot of the people that had arrived before them.

Right now he was in a meeting by telepathy with the rest of the round table alliance, for reasons of security they couldn't leave Akihabara unprotected and for the same reason they couldn't leave the town alone. Still they should really decide name for the town.

But that wasn't their position, no that was the people's duty, considering this was their town.

It took nearly three hours but the deals and internal arguments had finally ended, arguments because for obvious reasons they couldn't leave their own town unprotected and the spells and mixture of attacks left them all depleted of their power.

The second issue was that nearly all of the adventurers were needed for the ice pillars to be formed. Plus the need of smooth stones to hold the pillar.

Finally a decision was made and it was one that would eventually affect everyone because of it an ice pillar would be built near the portal that was connecting the two worlds, that way if ever needed then an emergency water supply would remain within the caves, safely away from whatever destroyed the other pillars.

Another would be built away from the city itself while distant it would be one of the largest ones created, this one would need at least two or three acts done over and over again. Stones from the drying river would cover the river floor, then the people could use the water supply for the crops andwhatever else they might need.

To the north of the town a pillar would be built it would be made at the edge, needles to say that the pillars were cold and dropped the surrounding areas temperature. Another one would be to the south-another to the west and finally another to the east.

The original one that was already made would serve as the center of it all.

Now to get all of the stones they needed to be collected from fountains and pools from the ruins of the cities from the world of Elder Tales. Soo only the pillars holdings would be having them, so in order to secure the waters the people of the new world needed to collect the rocks themselves from wherever they could.

People didn't just work for free, so spices would be used as payment.

Still all of this took time and a lot of work and effort, so there would be work for the people and for a time that would be okay, but what then and what would all of those people do after the job was done.

So the decision was made that the pillars wouldn't be created all at once instead in separate ocations.

That was a problem in itself, but it was also a solution. The problem was that in these moments the town of Akihabara would be open to an attack, but it also provided a chance for trade and work for the people.

The guilds currently working together in building the train, their report was that several sections were nearly completed and some of the people of the land [natives] were currently building the rail lines.

Luckily in the new world the people themselves were building the rail lines andwere even creating their own version of the train, this one would be used to go into the opposite direction into the unknown areas of the new world.

There were so many unknowns to be considered and for the moment things were going fine, only because the people were keeping themselves well behaved, but in time things could change and the punishments might no longer be enough.

There was also the issue, whatever kingdoms existed here one had taken an eye to them and they now had knights running around doing their own thing for the moment. Not only that the king and the princess from elder tales were now aware of the new world.

This was obviously an issue and the two sides would one day meet. There was no telling what could and would happen then.

Shiroes head hurt but the decision was made and now they had to deal with it, the first pillar to be made would be the one that would fill the drying river. It would be up to the people of the new world to fill the floor with the needed stones.

There was also an issue reported by several of the men and boys, one that Shiroe had to report. Mothers were presenting their daughters to the adventures and some families even simply wanted to give them away as concubines for them.

Luckily nothing has happened yet, but one drunken night and there would be an issue. There was no problem with the adventures having relationships, but the issue was all to apparent. The people were trying to gain ground and secure a hold with the adventures.

There is another issue, Silver sword has begun to order food from them and as things are happening somehow they have managed to reactivate the golems, the defenders of their city and have left them in stand by.

They are searching for meats-potions-metals and warm clothing. There is also the more alerting petitions armored vehicles and the ways to repair them, if possible the machines to make the beacles themselves.

These simple petitions show signs of a war on its way.

As payment they offer gold-skins and even some equipment that are particularly interesting.

Shiroe exhaled as he saw another group of people coming in, they needed to order more meat and clothing from Elder Tales, soon this would be to hard to maintain separate and the new world along with the original one, would be to enter twined in their investmentwith each other.

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The problem with all of this was where exactly to put the pillars and which ones should be made first. I was no mystery that the river was needed, tho it was drying up, there was no denying that there was still water flowing thru it.

Not only that but the sheer size of the pillar created an excessive amount of water that escaped and drained the adventurers of their magic.

If they build to close to the area where the farmers grew the crops, then they would be dealing with the same problem but under different conditions. The plants would freeze rather than die without water and the people would lose the way to feed themselves.

They build to far into the unknown areas and they risk leaving the pillar alone and having someone claim it as their own, they would simply say that they found it and no one was using it. Not only that but it would attract all sorts of wild animals.

Build it to close to the direction where people kept coming from and it had the ability of attracting even more people. People that they didn't have anymore room for.

Then there was the water itself, the river could take it but could the waterways, that had already been built.

After a brief discussion it was decided that since people were coming anyways, then the first pillar would be made in that direction.

It would take a week to dig and put the stones in place and another week for all of the adventures to get together, The town's defenses back in Elder Tales was resolved considering that they didn't really need all of the adventurers.

After discussing it some more the weakest members of the guilds would remain and the strongest would perform the ritual, they may be weak members but they were stilladventurers, that would be dammed if the town was destroyed.

It was no mystery that the stronger the adventurer the stronger the attack.
1

The man watched his children play, as they chased each other near his home. For a while their home had been his carriage, but as time went by he was lucky to be one of the few the adventurers helped build a home for.

The practice was now nearly abandoned, he could see that they adventurers had other priorities now. There was a division growing, one that was both from the mind and from the body.

People from the original village were now dressed in finer cloths and had succeeded in attaining the adventurers aid in rebuilding as well as redesigning their homes. They only walked amongst the town, if at all and retreated to the inner town at night, nothing too serious, at least until one noticed that when they spoke to people, the did it with a tone that seemed almost disgusted.

He and his family were placed along a rather unique position, that didn't mean that they were the only ones.

They remembered the time before they came to this town and now they were outsiders, now they were seen by the people coming in as the town's inhabitants, while the original inhabitants still saw them as outsiders.

The original wall that was being built was now complete and it surrounded the original village and with a lot of pleading the now growing town, managed to convince the adventures in to building one to defend them as well.

Now a new job had started and in all honesty, there was plenty of work and if one didn't work it was because they didn't want to.

The reason was simple, if one wanted to travel then they could become a merchant-join the exploration group[tho it was mostly,made of adventurers and criminals]- he could help work on the crops-help build the waterways-build homes and even build the wall.

Now there was the now hole in the ground being dug up, so there was more work.

Shops had begun to open smiths that sold all kinds of armors and weapons- sowing groups to weave together clothing and so forth and now there was a guard being formed and a group of knights from had begun to train them, times were changing yet again.

A brief cry made the man turn his head and see his wife holding their youngest child, both had grown plump in the short tie they had been here and to be honest.

The man preferred his wife this way, rather than the thin woman he had seen and married.

He knew that had these been other times they would be much thinner than they were, no they would have been so much thinner. He had no doubt of what the drought would have done to them.

He had no doubt because as people arrived they showed the signs of the lack of food, some wanted to take a group to go and get whatever people remained in their villages and towns.

Unfortunately they would have to do it alone, no one not even the adventurers would aid them, there were to many problems already, so if they added more people things would be worse.

Those men left either vowing vengeance or in deep disappointment.

A brief gasp escaped his wife's mouth and his children ran up to them, when he looked up he was met with a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. Men and women whose presence could make even the boldest of men bow their heads with their sheer presence.

They wore armors and clothing entirely unique to themselves, on their capes the shield s of their own unique houses. Shiroe was amongst them, the adventurer that usually could be seen attending to the peoples activities.

However the man before them was no longer the exhausted scribe that they had gotten used to seeing, no now this man had a firm eye of determination and his presence was so powerful that it nearly made him kneel just by looking at him.

His daughter fell to the ground, she couldn't even kneel, they were too much for them, but it had only been a moment and the feeling had gone just as quickly as it had come.

He was about to get up and help his children when he saw that the children that had the same shields on their capes as the adventurers, help his children up. Immediately he saw them chase after the adventurers without a care in the world, his wife was about to warn them not to, but he stopped her.

It all made sense now. Those children were adventurers themselves.

His family and himself had regained their breaths when a loud explosion caught their attention and water fell from the sky, but there was not a single clout to the sky.

All of a sudden children ran screaming for their parents, some had faces so full of smiles as they pulled them to see something, it didn't take long for them to see it. He followed and his eyes were met with a second pillar of ice.

All of a sudden the sound of water rushing was heard and the waterways were filled with even more water than before. A man began to speak and say the Shallya was present on these lands another spoke and preached that Sigmar had shown his favor upon this place.

Still another preached that Verena was here showing the people, slowly arguing began to occur. Yet as it grew the adventurers themselves put it down, their words were all too clear .

''We allowed you to stay and we will kike you out.''

As the water slowed down until it finally stopped, the lights in the sky began to grow and shine slowly over the town. I was for a brief moment but the man saw a blue light hit the original pillar and vanish.

That night a banquet was held in honor, of the new pillars creation. However the adventurers that were seen during the day fid not take part of it, it was said that people were toscared of them, while others believed that they saw it as too much trouble.

Still time passed and more holes were being dug up and smooth stones were placed in them to secure the positions.

A group of merchants arrived carrying hundreds of people nearly dying, like the people that had arrived before they were given water and medical attention. Slowly a small house was created by using the tents from the people.

This worked in the same way as the people that lived in their carriages, however in locations these people heard that the adventurers had made homes for the original arrivals and they proceeded to demand the same.

It would have been another issue for the adventurers to deal with, had the people not begun to get violent.

There is a word for this especially uttered by the townspeople. ''Stupidity'' there was a simple move done by the adventurers, the assassins knocked any that attacked the people not hurting anyone.

However the presence of the adventurers, that had been known as just another group of people at this moment had completely changed. The kind elven woman and men were now cold and harsh. The knights and beast men were so enraged by the damage done that as men that laid eyes on them actually ran into the dried wastelands.

''No one is entitled to anything. If we don't help you in building your homes, is because you are capable of doing it yourselves ad the people around you could help you.'' Shiroe said, his words and eyes were now so powerful that they nearly broke people's will.

Slowly the crowd dispersed, but they were so shaken by the adventurers that many of them left the town.

A few weeks later the third pillar was created and again the blue light connected with the second and first pillar.

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The man watched as the knights gathered the group of problematic people and took them into the scouting corps. They were no longer refugees seeking for aid, no now they were traitors that had bitten the hand that had been given to them.

Is wife had gone to him shaken by what she had seen, it was her tha told him just why the adventurers had reacted the way they had.

It was no surprise that the adventurers would have overlooked this act of hostility, of that no one would have argued. However some time ago, the elven woman of the Crescent Moon Alliance had gathered her followers and created a orphanage for the children that had come in without their families.

The home also took in mothers and even entire families.

The trouble makers burned it to the ground, risking the lives of dozens of children-infants and pregnant mothers.

It was said that not a single man had taken part of the attack, no the attackers were all woman. However the men they attacked the walls and the shopping district, as odd as it may have seemed the knights were actually surprisingly lenient with them, not a single person was truly hurt.

Sure a couple of black eyes-broken bones or stolen food, but these men all took what anyone desperate for food would have taken.

The third group however those were the ones that only joined to cause trouble and were now being hunted down like animals by the the knights.

That same night a hearing was taken and the adventurers wanted justice but not an overly cruel punishment.

The people however they weren't so kind.

The members of the Crescent Moon were kind to all and did everything within their power to help the people, it was for this reason that they were warmly welcomed in anyone's home. They were warriors-healer-midwives and teachers.

It was the elven woman who took on the sic when the healing tents were overworked.

The people's demands for the trouble makers punishment became so great that the adventurers feared what the people would do to them. So as punishment all of them would be sent into the wastelands to map out the surrounding areas.

They saw this as an act of mercy while a firm punishment.

The people however saw the look in the knight's eyes, they two had grown to care and welcome the members of the Crescent Moon. After all they had opened their doors to the knights and had given them some spare rooms for them to live at least until their own building could be completed.

The knights openly demanded that if they were to watch over these trouble, makers then they shouldn't have to deal with any other group.

The adventures agreed, the pain in their eyes was all too clear. They somehow knew that something bad was going to happen to those prisoners.

3
As the light of day came up and the the smell of ash and wet dirt hit the senses. The broken stands of the shopping districts, two groups were made, one that took part in the destruction of the homes of the people and the burning of the house of the Crescent Moon.

The second was just the people that took the food and medication they needed, this group would be spared of the punishment planned for them.

There were plenty of bandits seen by the merchants, along with them plenty of hungry animals and dangerous terrain.

So if anything were to happen to the filth, no to the prisoners during this time, the knights couldn't possibly be at fault after all they had to keep an eye on everything. Some would argue that as woman some of them needed protection far greater than the men needed.

In those ties the knight captain would remind those fools, that had this occurred in the empire, those same woman would have been publicly tortured and burned as punishment for their treachery.

As the group began to walk, the knights had one thing in mind locating and killing those that fled into the waste land.

As for the second group, they would be put thru hellish training and the few knight's given to them would only serve as trainers. After all, their only crime was getting what they needed out of desperation and by now the adventurers had shown that they were more than willing to forgive these group.

However the knights wouldn't be so lenient, the mapping out of the area was still essential so they would make them run in that form, scale any cliffs and so forth. To help them lots of water and food was taken, as well as some potions and healing material.

As for the first group only the bare minimumwas taken and it would be highly rationed.

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[[]
The knight captain watched as the people struggled to walk under the scorching sun, the dead dried dirt crumbled with every step they took. The woman cried and screamed, some of the men gave defiant looks and had signs of wanting to attack him and his men.

However as the minutes became hours their endurance and defiance weakened. The woman screamed and cried, the sheer thought that they could and would be treated this way was entirely alien to them.

The men simply kept quiet their instincts were already kicking in, right now survival was the only thing that matters. The lack of water and food was now beginning to take its toll on them and the knights themselves couldn't help but smile.

They had been present when the adventurers and some of the workers had their meeting, a decision had been made. A house similar to that of the Crescent Moon would be made for the people that had arrived in such numbers.

The people would have to take care of it and provide for themselves, but at least this way they could have a home and a roof over their heads.

Now these ungrateful garbage, was being punished just like the trash they were.

The knight captain for his part thought that there was no need to care of such filth, in all reality in any of the kingdoms even those of the beast men or even the elves from what he had heard from words here and there. This kind of severe disrespect and rebellion would have had all of the people rounded up and either hanged-tortured-burned at the stake.

If they were in a rather kind town the woman would have been turned into pleasure slaves and their sons and daughter for twelve generations would have been subjected to the same fate.

This way eventually they would be forgiven and they would pay of their debt to the people.

The men would have been sent to the mines or used as breeding beast for whatever ting or simply increasing the number of slave births. Then they would be worked to death, if they were lucky.

But the adventurers had weak hearts and so the filth had been sent to scout the surrounding dead lands. To see the same woman who had only hours earlier had so much rage and fire now broken and desperate had a small feeling of dullness.

But to see the same men that thought they were unbeatable, now bowing their heads, this felt oddly good.

They were supposed to look at the surrounding area and bring back any dying or lost people, while they were at it put down any bandit-monster and troublemaker they found.

It should only take a week, however the knight captain as well as his men had decided to extended to two. After the sun went down they would force the prisoners to strip off all their clothing and carry it during the cold night, when the sun went back up they would be allowed to wear them on again.

By the time they returned to Jewel they would either be dead or learned their place. They were worth less than the excrement the animals dropped. Before they were valuable refuges now even if the adventurers weak hearts wanted to show mercy, he would not.

Still their main mission from the empire was to build a better relation with the town of jewel, so his men the ones that went with the people that acted on desperation, they would put those men threw the mill. Any that said that a mill could never hurt anyone, they had obviously never seen the torture chambers.

In time those men and woman would be forgiven and find that their worth was now greater than ever before.

They had seen the house of the Crescent Moon, help the injured and care for toes at the edge of death. Infants were born there when their mothers were about to give birth and so on.

None of the people ever asked for any kind of payment and they had only created the larger building after seeing the people's suffering.

The elven woman had openly wished she could do more to help the people.

And these filth went and burned the house down.

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1
The mood was grim and would remain grim for the adventurers, the burning of the Crescent Moon Alliance guild house, was a heavy hit to both the people and the adventurers. The people that had received the help by the members of the crescent moon alliance had now lost it, the house was still there.

It was built by stone and heavily sturdy material, right now the house was covered in smoke and black ash, nearly all of the refugees belonging were gone and what little they had was all but useless.

There was little to no question that some of the people acted in sheer desperation, but these bach they were just people that wanted to cause trouble.

The townspeople both original and settled wanted justice and protection.

So in an a heavy meeting between the chosen leaders from the settled in towns people, the new arrivals and the original towns people. Everyone came to the same conclusion, the main punishment would remain the same, however for situations that were worse their new punishments were created.

One if the situations were forgivable then they could join the military or go into the farms and even the mines, until they pay up their debt to the town.

If it was even harsher the crime, then they would simply leave them somewhere in the wastelands. They would not be allowed back in.

The last vit was apparent that the knights were going to do something to those people, unfortunately none of the adventurers had the harts to do what needed to be done,as they would allow the knights to do what needed to be done.

Right now the people were helping cleaning and rebuilding everything that the troublemakers, the plan they had come to earlier was still going to be done however now the people were going to have to build the buildings together.

In essence they would be apartment buildings but no one could gain any more rooms other than the ones they already had when the buildings were completed.

However the buildings would only be their homes until another house was built by the people.

A list was made by the number of families and single people, this meant that no one would be allowed to put their names on the top of the list.

Then there were the other issues, with the arrival of more people the need for food had increased and so from the world of elder tales, more and more meat vegetables and overall food and clothing was brought in.

Not only that figurines and clothing had also come in with that stuff, more and more the two worlds were becoming dependent on each other.

Also from what the people had told them, the towns near the edge of the border between the part where humans live are now gone and had become apart of the refuges.
The thing was that the villages and towns, closer to the human controlled areas, because they either were too old-to young or had let the drought get to them and jewel was the closest thing to them.

There was also the whispering amongst the people here and there, that a large group was coming, its size would either make jewel into a kingdom or it would break the town.

However the good news in all of this the mist that lingered during the night was now being carried by the wind and plants had begun to grow around the town.

Those that had animals took full advantage of the grass to feed their animals.

Some people plated whatever plants they had and had begun to start their own businesses around either the animals or their plants. This group was setting down and beginning to flourish.

[][]

Just like that two weeks passed and the third pillar was put up and as odd as it might have seemed its creation caused a great wind, from what the adventurers and some of the few magic users could figure out, the lowering temperature of the pillars surrounding area, combined with the hot weather caused the early effects for storm clouds to be started.

The sewer system was going along nicely and with the time that passed the rail lines were now beginning to connect with the mountains, soon they would reach the entrance to the portal.

With the added time the soil had become moist enough that the animals wouldn't go hungry anymore, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

With the peoples help Cresent Moons guild house was cleaned and repaired and a sense of normality settled in.

However far from these lands a group of men and women listened to their fellow men and woman.
Within the combined drunken stupors and cheerful words each one let on some bits of information they would have normally never uttered had they been of sound of mind.

So word reached the main ruler whether it was the emperor king or who ever mattered not, for the results were the same, a woman stepped forth, she had long red ahir-paile skin-light blue eyes and plump red lips a wonder for any man looking for a partner.

However had anyone bothered to look beyond her looks they would seem, the cruelty hidden just beneath her beauty.

The people of Jewel, did not deserve such a growing kingdom, so a simple seduction would take place, after all if the people had allowed such rebellion, then they were fools and nothing else.

However whether it was fate or simply an act of the moment in the world of Elder Tales, the king read his granddaughter's report, her friendship with the adventurers allowed her to hear just what had happened.

It was obvious to the king and his counselors that the adventurers were seen by the people as their rulers, even if the adventurers themselves out right denied this and even tried to stop such things.

So he agreed to allow his daughter to go and see the other world, only if the adventurers would keep her company at all times. She would go in the utmost form that a princess could. Her long silver hair-pale skin-light blue eyes and gentle nature would aid her in approaching the people.

However the king hoped that his granddaughters lazy attitude, when she was alone wouldn't be seen by the people.

During this time the people settled in a form of class life, the highest and most well lived were the original people of the town, the mid level were those that had settled and now had better lives, while the low class were those that were left outside.

This was their normality and tho many were now more resentful than ever, none dared to raise the adventurers anger.]

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2
Shiroe sat on a table yet again he was covered in paperwork, he sat on the table because as of his chair was covered in even more paperwork.

The last couple of weeks had been tough, but they somehow made it work, with the growing number of workers the jobs that were needed doing were being done in record time, the new sewer system was being completed, it was made slowly next to the waterways, but they were done in a slower pace. The reason, unlike the waterways the sewer system couldn't just be turned of.

The waterways could be directed in another direction and the people could get their water from there, but the sewer system, well it was like telling people to stop using the bathroom.

Rocks were used to secure and hold the area while water would poure in it every forty to fifty minutes, ensuring that no waist would remain, the cover and the stones were being marked with runes that kept the stone in good condition, while eliminating the smell.

The ail lines were coming along nicely and sofar with the new pillars the water shortage was being dealt with.

However animals had begun to approach the outskirts of the town, either drawn by the water of food the people have and even by the animals that eat grass that some predatory creates eat.

A few days ago the knights returned and even tho they returned in separate groups both groups were brought in, one had the people that had tried to get food water and anything a desperate person could get. They were immediately told that they had done a good job and to go and see their families.

Shiroe rubbed his eyes, every morning this group would gather with the growing number of trainees and practice with the sword or do basic military exercises.

The second group however, they returned completely exhausted and nearly broken, the knight captain denied anyone s attempt to provide water or food to the prisoners.

When questioned about it his answer was.

''I understand that you are good people, but if you want to maintain order, then you need to give the people treason to fear their punishment. None of them will die, but I guarantee, no one will want to be place in these conditions'' the knight captain said.

Unfortunately no one could argue with him, the prisoners were going to stay with the knight captain for an entire month and it was now becoming apparent that they might not last that long.

Shops were growing and imports from both the new world and elder tales were coming and going.

There was another issue, religious leaders had taken over one of the pillars, or should it be said that there were times that a pillar was worships and said to be blessed by a particular god. I didn't seem to dawn to the people that the adventurers themselves had created them in front of the people.

No that wasn't right, the people didn't care, they worshiped a god and nothing else, they simply chose to worship near the pillars because it was the pillars that were producing the water, they desperately needed.

The river was drying up faster than anyone had anticipated and soon the adventurers would have to gather and create the largest pillar. The winds were carrying the water in the air, so this wasn't an issue yet, but the water in the air only reached so far.

More and more things were coming up, as they solved one problem many more came up. Shiroe looked up to the ceiling and began to think, maybe it was time for the adventurers to leave and let the people do things on their own.
5

In a carriage pulled by a group of fine horses and a small group of guards a woman with red hair smiled, as she read the reports of the rulers of the town of jewel she identified one easy prey.

There was a scribe one of great strength in the pen, this meant that the man would be weak in the understanding of the world around him. As she and her guard near the town they began to see the colors in the sky and the cool wind was like heaven considering the droughts uncaring heat.

In a few hours they were able to see the town and a seductive smile, with the hints of greed and cruelty appeared on her pale skin. Her eyes showed that she liked what she saw and as the sweat ran down her breast she seductively called out to one of the guards and ordered the her guard to stop.

A the man enters the carriage, then after a few minutes another man replaced him and another and another, until all of them had entered the carriage.

By the time they all had begun to move one again, both her and her maidens were dressed in completely different clothing. Her eyes gazed at the crista like towers that sparked as the light hit them and how the town seemed to become more and more wealthier as it approached the towers.

The outside of the town was covered in tents and some green, while all around it was a dead land, it was obvious that the lesser ones lived on the outside. Either way all she had to do was take the town from the scribes hands and the first step in attaining the town would be done.

Still one needed servants and it wouldn't belong before the girls with her would be with child, really youth was always in het, so she would see just which ones of the filth was good enough to accompany her.

If there were any good men, well first she would test them then have them perform for her with one of her servants and if they were good enough she would take them.

After all perfection didn't just happen and the perfect toy had to be made, so with enough time and years, she would breed the perfect bed partner.

Now how to get that scrive.

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[The heat had gotten to him, several of the females were on their last legs. It was only through sheer luck that they had found the caves and escaped the heat, that's when they found it a waterfall coming from a tower made of ice.

It was like the gods had blessed them, as more and more creatures were lured into the caves and immediately went to drink from the waters.

Several females went into heat, there was more than enough water and food was growing, however this only applied to the caves outside the sun was still unbearable, so they had to venture outside at night.

Less they fall to the unbearable heat.

At times they saw several males and females he thought they were called humans, tho in reality no one was sure. None of them had ever seen a human, they seemed weak and easy prey.

Again it was only sheer luck that none of his females and his subordinate males didn't attack, others however weren't so lucky and were quickly dealt with by the humans.

This happened in several locations, either the humans went into a nest or left the cave, however once in awhile they would gather around the ice tower and make it grow each time the waters flowed in great abundance.

It was soon learned that these were the ones creating the tower of water so many would leave the humans alone and any new comers would be dealt with should they try and feast on them.

Less the humans no longer wish to create the water or simply leave forever in retaliation.

The caves were ever changing, more and more creatures were coming in and venturing deeper into the caves. Many died in the various holes in the ground or eaten by the predators in them.

The females will soon be having their litters and if the ways continued the waters would flow again, he smiled a toothy smile soon they would grow in number and show the gods that only they deserved to rule the caves.

With any luck they would gain the power over the waters and even replace the humans]
3
The knight captain watched as the town grew all around him, in the short amount of time he had been there. Under normal circumstances this would have been entirely impossible and to be honest by now the entire place would have been covered in crime.

However no one wanted to enrage the adventurers, not since that day and tho he didn't admit it, seeing the prisoners in the state that they were, no one wanted their punishment and that filled him with a rather sense of pride.

Most of the men had been given work in the mines and their names had been added to the list of homes, the knight captain would have said that creating something like this was idiotic, but the adventurers had found a way to make it work.

One home pet family, since the first born usually inherited the problems they would inherit the home, so any other man would get their names put on the list.

However women were not eligible for this, unless their families agreed to this, the reason no one would protect them and should an attack happen no one would be held responsible.

This was further proof that the adventurers weren't idiots, they were just fools with good hearts.

The surrounding areas were being dug up for the stones needed, everything used stones so there was a lot of loose soil and those that knew about working the lands settled in these areas. Unfortunately arguments began and shiroe had to set a standard size none of the farmers could exceed.

The reason was simple, they were all taking water in barrels by this point and if they didn't want to be forced to stop carrying the water. The mist didn't reach so far, plus there was a chance that the farmers could eventually control so much land that they might hold all the food supply in their power.

Still the town was growing and everyone that was living in the carriages and on the streets would soon have their own homes, homes they were paying of by building their own and helping build the rest of the people's.

A cold wind blasted past him and the sight of the last pillar caught his eye, yet again none of his men had seen how the adventurers created them. They had been gone punishing the prisoners so they missed the creation of the other three and with this last pillar complete, the adventurers called their work complete.

''Mom..mom,mom,look'' a boy called to his mother as he pointed to the sky.

As the knight captain turned to look his eyes caught the sight of a swirling light growing in the sky, the cold wind flowed past him, yet as one of his men ran up to him he began to speak of what he saw.

Apparently the swirling lights in the sky were going away from the empires direction and headed straight into the unknown lands.

There was another issue, the winds were carrying water and if this continued a lot of the soil will soon become moist and green grass would begin to grow. Green grass that attracted hungry plant eating animals, who in turn attracted carnivores animals and creatures and with them other sets of unmentionables.

Also the waters were spilling outside of the town.

The waterways were built for a certain amount of water and should that amount be exceeded then a system was implaced so the water would flow out and that's exactly what was happening, unfortunately, this water was flowing in such away that it seemed to have a purpose.

Cracks on the land were being filled and if this continued, who knows what else might happen.

The water was flowing in all directions and already birds were throwing themselves into the puddles.

The mans report ended there and the knight captain was about to go have words with one of the adventurers and find out if they knew this would happen, that is until the preachers began to say that their god had blessed this day.

As a believer in Sigmar he didn't like when someone took the gods in vain, however even he could not argue that a greater power was at work.

The knight captain began to move, even tho he was with the prisoners at the moment his duty required him at height of the town's position. That is he needed to be in the oldest part of Jewel.

As he began to move, he passed the refugees that had not had any homes built\paid for them as of yet, he saw how their children played in the water and how their smiling faces seemed to brighten the day.

The men were hard at work putting their meager possessions into higher ground and the woman hummed as they collected their various trinkets.

Somehow they all seemed happier.

He began to pass the housing area and how their rocky buildings, now had small amounts of plants growing near them, a reminder of their time when they lacked a home in the town.

He passed the market and saw how the merchants boosted their meats-cheeses-breads and so forth.
Plants of various kinds were all over and water flowed thru the stone roads, where several young men and women scrubbed away at the excrement the animals dropped.

Finally he reached the oldest part of the town and saw how water flowed thru the walls, walls that were covered in green plants of all kinds, even as he entered the sight of luxury homes and woman dressed in fine cloths could be seen.

He soon reached the town's leaders home, where he found that shiroe along with several of his cohousing members were discussing something he ignored.

His eyes soon met with the figure of a small woman dressed in outrageous out fit, that only a gesture would wear. Tho she had a rather pleasing body, he could not help but feel anger towards the knight of the hus of the Long Horizon.

The am already had the lady of the Crescent moon and from what the people had told him, the woman at his side at the moment, was either his concubine or a set bride within a separate house.

There were stories spoken in whispers by the people that the two woman would of then argue which of them would be the main woman, in the man's life.

Shiroe looked at him and said ''Good you're here, it appears that a dignitary from another kingdom or was it town is here and I was wondering if you knew her name''

The leader of the house of the Horizon his eyes said much more, they were cold and calculating. It was almost as if he had seen something everyone else hadn't.

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The knight captain felt as if he was under the gaze of the someone in the imperial house, he could feel shiro's eyes noting every move he unintentionally made.

''What can you tell us about, the town or is it kingdom of Yar?'' Shiroe asked him

The knight captain could only feel his skin tighten with anger the putrid filth of Yra was here, if its taint contaminates his ever growing gem that was called Jewel then there was no telling what might happen to the people and what it might mean in the future.

He was about to begin to speak, when he noticed that several members of the house of the Horizon had one of their hands on their heads.

Next to them were the leaders elected by the people from each of the towns sections, they were all expecting his words.

''Yar, yar is a town\kingdom based around slaves and merchants. They are known to go to small villages and towns. When thishappens two things occurs, either they claim the villages\towns under their control.

The methods they use are different each time, so no one knows how they usually gain the people's lands.

The other method, they whisper sweet words to the people and any of the young.'' the knight captain paused to see if there was any reaction from shiroe, however he saw none.

''Once the people are claimed, their daughters-wives and servants are passed around to yar's guards-slaves-merchants and any buyers from other kingdoms.

When the woman are fully broken, they begin to spread them out to any buyer the might find. They don't spread or grow, instead they infiltrate and contaminate, afterall they are merchants. So the need buyers and fools who believe their leaders are still the ones in charge.''

''The men are no different and their fate is divided in either pleasing both the men and women until their wills are broken. Or they join the defense group and do the same to others that fall for Yar's trickery.

The empire has attempted to destroy yar in several locations, but it is like killing a rat. There are others somewhere else all the time and there are those in powerful positions that enjoys Yars exotic merchandise.

Like I said before they are merchants, so if a slave were to buy his or her freedom, they will be given it. They pride themselves in keeping their words, after all what is a merchant without credibility.''

The knight captain finished, however shiroes eyes were now covered in shadow.

''I see, thank you'' shiroe said as he got up and walked out of the room.

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2
The cold air passed through him like the wind found in the mountains or in the early mornings at a beach. As he walked the people bowed their heads and moved out of his way, children in their ever present laughter filled the surrounding area with their joy filled voices.

The town had grown a lot and with it more and more responsibilities had fallen onto the adventurers and by extent the Round Table Alliance [R.T.A]. However that didn't change the fact that this was indeed another world, one with its own separate rules and factions.

Si when in Elder Tales, Shiroe could make do with his understanding of the game world mechanics and his fellow adventurers information.

Here he was no different then everyone else.

This meant he needed to build his own information group and even tho the merchants-the people that arrived and the original town's inhabitants told him a lot about the land and what they knew. Shiroe knew that they hadn't told him everything and if they had their information was extremely limited to their area.

His suspicions had been confirmed when the knight captain told him about the schools of magic and the gods that ruled the lands. He told tales of the man that became a god Sigmar and the secret stories about those forbidden beings that worship the mad gods of chaos.

Things weren't any better even with this information, seeing as they were at the edge of the new world and at the borders of a land simply known as the lost regions or the weistlands.

There was no information on what laid on the other side and if reports from wat Silver Swords members were true, there was another portal somewhere around the world. The reason another one was made by whoever made the portals, was alsodiscovered as the people of the landsresearchers.[ however few they may have been]

There was a main portal and an emergency one built just in case something happens and the main portal was damaged, that way the people using it would not be harmed and would simply be sent to the other portal.

From the reports Silver Sword had come in contact with a world similar to world war two russia, however the planet was a frozen wasteland and its people extremely xenophobic. However after a brief invasion and following negotiations the reason was known, the people had experienced invasions of creatures known as orks a fungus life form made for war and nothing else.

Now it seemed that this new town was being scouted for invasion and shiroe knew there was little he could do to stop it from happening.

If what the knight captain had said was true then it was the worst\best kind of invasion.

It was a degradation of the people's unity and structure of the way of life, until the people grew so use to corruption betrayal of their leaders that those that chad caused all of the suffering could claim power with little effort.

So caught up in his thoughts that shiroe failed to notice a young woman in front of her, only when he was about to knock her down did he see her, unfortunately for the both of them he failed to stop.

Unfortunately for the both of them the excess water was still flowing and had yet to be removed by the water maintenance system, so the two of them ended up getting their entire cloths wet.

As shiroe rose from on top of the woman he notice that her white shirt had become entirely transparent, allowing him to see everything underneath, her long dress now clung to her skin, so tightly that it showed her rather supple figure.

Shiroe acted quickly and thrue a spare rob he had onto the woman and age her his hand to help her stand. As she rose from the wet stone floor, she thanked shiroe and ran away..

Months later shiroe would understand just how important the woman would become and his mistake for not taking every part of her into consideration because if he had he would have noticed the necklace around her neck.

Still as shiroe continued to walk and his anger disperse did he begin to take in the sight of the world around him. He had barely been involved in the town's development, unlike the rest of his guild.

So caught up he and several of the guild leaders of the various groups had been in making sure the people had homes-food and so on that they had spent their time buried in so much paperwork or performing various deals with the people of the new world and the people of the land, not to mention the adventurers themselves.

Where there were once simple stone buildings, now stood large mansions fit for nobles. Where there were once dead dry lands, there stood a small lake filled with fresh water plants green and filled with life, along with various kinds of animals that shiroe himself wasn't sure if they were strays-pets or wild animals that had come into the town.

As he filled his lungs with the cold air, he caught the scent of flowers and various perfumes, the sweat from the men working and the meats and baked goods the people made.

Shiroe felt his anger dispersed and fully be replaced with a feeling better suited for someone the people called The Villain Behind Glasses.

Like the town in elder tales the adventurers had made this place home and he would be damned if someone would take it from them. From him.

The woman her honored guard and her animals along with their ladies, were all kept in one of the large buildings away from the sight of the last ice towers formation. If they got suspicious they would simply deny there being an extra tower and that the extra water was because some idiot forgot to do their job properly.

It was in fact ab livable story, considering that the last tower had yet to settle in and the magic that held it for some reason made it vanish and reappear. Also from what the reports said the reason for this was because a light had shot from all of the pillars of ice and connected to the first pillar ever built in the town.

The lights were darker as they got older so the center pillar glowed a dark blue and consequently the newest pillar glew a nearly transparent blue, the beams of light that connected them seemed to be the same.

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][][][]][][
Shiroe arrived at a mansion fit for a king it was here where Yar's representatives were being taken care of, as he turned the knob on the wooden door, it's thick hard wood smelled of fresh lumber and white wine.

As he opened the door the sight of hard wooden floors finely furnished, combined with wooden furniture imported from Akihabara. The sound of pianos and violins playing from a record player, could be heard playing somewhere within the building.

The hint of freshly cooked food met shiroe's sense of smell, along with the faint sounds of a woman crying.

Normally for someone to go into another person's home would be rude and for that matter criminal, but the people of the town not only permitted the adventurers to do so. They in fact encouraged it, shiroe had heard that if a thief heard that an adventurer had entered someone's home, they instinctively would leave that home alone.

Shiroe followed the sounds of the crying and discovered a servant girl being held by her mother, the woman gasped and as shiroe kneeled down to see what was wrong he saw that the girl had a rather large wound on her right thigh and a large bruise on her left breast.

''Was she'' shiroe began to ask, only for the mother to immediately say no. She quickly said that the girl managed to escape before the event happened.

Shiroe casted a brief healing spell making the bruises vanish from her body.

Both women's eyes widened as the healing spell was placed on the girl, however their eyes were caught as the cold look shiroe had. Tho the man showed no hint of emotion, his eyes were cold and extremely calculating, so much so that they seemed to look straight thru them.

''Could you please bring some warm sweet bread to us. I'm about to have a meeting oh and tell the rest of the servants that if they don't report any wrongdoings that have happened recently they will be punished by us.'' shiroe said, as he walked out of the room.

As shiroe walked and entered a room with a large set of bookshelf filled to the brink with books of all kinds, tho they were all children's books they did what the owner intended. A person can learn more about the people and their society, by the toys and books given to their people.

There sited in front of large furnished wooden table, were three women and twenty men, witch spoke wonders about the size of the room and the building itself.

The woman all were incredibly good looking and by their clothing were all of high social status, however there was one amongst them she stood out from the rest of them, her appearance was filled with grace and her figure was incredible.

However despite her pleasing smile, her eyes showed hints of a calculating mind.

Shiroe exhaled and allowed his more relaxed side to show, he allowed his posture to slouch and his more anti social side to be dominant.

''Sorry to keep you waiting, but you understand there's a lot of work to do and time flies'' shiroe said with a goofy grin
5

She watched as her target walked in and by his posture-the way he dressed and his form of speech, she saw that he was rather weak against the opposite sex. So some sweet words here-a light touch there may be allowing hing to sample and enjoy the girls while getting a taste herself would make the fool sign anything sh placed in front of him.

However as he walked a small girl the size of a child dressed in the cloth of the assassins walked in with him.

She however stood firm, vigilant and by the look in her eyes she had confirmed that should maters turn, she could kill everyone in the room.

The girl's small frame-long purple hair, spoke wonders about the girl's age. She was small so she could and would most likely be a child, but like most assassins she had seen more than most so her eyes were ever visialent.

Things had become slightly more difficult, however she was of no consequence, after all the scrive was the one who had the real power here.

So she began.

''I'll be quick you see, we will only be here for today and tonight as it has been a long trip. But my associates and I are interested in starting a small business here.

From what we heard the town is growing rapidly and would like to contribute to it'' she said displaying her intent at full force, now came the hard prt agreements and rejection of ideas.

''I'm glad to hear that, I expect a full report if you have it of everything you wish to sell or what your business might be about and if anything is in order we will be happy to have you'' shiroe said to the woman, tho as his conversation was being heard by the rest of the adventurers, his words obviously shocked them.

The knight captain didn't know why the rest of the adventurers had reacted in shock and in the world of elder tales, the princess saw the adventurers accompanying her react in the same way. She instantly knew something bad was happening.

''Calm down'' said Krusty the leader of guild D.D.D ''If shiroe rejects their offer, then that would mean the town has something valuable or its trying to hide something. Also the town is growing and revenue is desperately needed .''

''All of you are right to react this way, but shiroe knows what he's doing'' the leader of D.D.D said.

As the meeting continued and paperworkwas held, the woman's attempts of seduction were stopped by the small assassin and any attempts to play mind games were instantly countered by shiroe's own intelligence. Everything seemed to be in order, however all deals were stopped and the woman and her group left the very same day the arrival.

There was a clause a clause that would make all attempts to hide any wrongdoings from the adventurers nearly impossible.

The yar kingdoms and its branches whether official-in word-in mind or simply people that worked for people that worked for them will not do any business besides that that has been agreed upon and any new merchandise imported and exported has to pass through the adventurers first.

If this clause is broken then all towns-representatives-wear abouts and more will be displayed for the adventurers to inspect and deal with. Should the need arrives.

The entire deal was made by magic inc and paper, the representatives of Yar knew that if this were to pass then none of theirstrongholds would be safe. So they simply left vowing vengeance.

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An uneasysense of calm set in, as the adventurers listened to the entire ordeal and when Yar's representatives left everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding in.
3
Seeing this the knight captain excused himself and began to make his way to shiroe's location. He briefly knocked on the door and was let in and taken to the study where shiroe and his small companion sat.

''Lord Shiroe, a moment please'' the knight captain said catching shiroe's attention, however he cursed himself for not noticing the strong look that shiroe had on him at the moment.

''Yeah come in'' shiroe answered the knight captain, his hand guiding the knight captain at an empty chair.

A sense of calm settled in between the three people in the room, the knight captain wasn't kidding himself he knew that the rest of the adventurers could still and most likely still were listening.

''The house of the Horizon, the home built for your clan and guards men. Your families shield of arms is displayed on the end of the hall, proudly showing the peoples respect and belief in you.

''...''

''My apologies, from your comrades reaction I can guess that you have managed to push the representatives away. However I would like to confirm my suspicions'' the knight captain said to shiroe.

''And what are your suspicions?'' shiroe asked the knight captain.

''That Yar is already here and has already been here'' the knight captain answered shiroe.

''... It's like you suspect.'' shiroe answered the knight captain, as he handed him the contract that he had made with Yar's representatives.

''...'' The knight captain simply kept quiet.

''Its like you suspected, there's a huge chance that Yar has been here and arrived with the first batch of refuges and if the didn't they were here with the town's originalinhabitants.'' Shiroe said a he sent out a pulse directed at an eagle that was flying near a window.

The moment the animal was killed, a man far from Jewel screamed in pain as his connection to the animal was forcefully cut of.

''I've been looking at your reports, along with several of the stories some of the refuges have said… and I've come to the conclusion that the reason why our refuge numbers aren't higher, is because the bandits attacking the people arriving here are in fact people working for Yar.'' shiroe answered the knight captain.

''Also there's some suspicious activities I've been keeping an eye on. No matter the town or city, there is always going to be a black market.
However, people talk about people being taken away and never being heard from again. Pretty soon we are going to have to move'' shiroe answered the knight captain.

''So today's meeting'' the knight captain began only for shiroe to finish his sentence.

''Was a formal declaration of war, or if you want to hear it in more specific words. We are in place to take control and power, this is us telling you we are already in position, to take it.'' shiroe finished his statement.

''I see, we will have to strike whereverpossible'' the knight captain said, as he rose from his seat and left.
5
She watched as one of her guards held his eye and smiled and began to remember.

She remember how the people of Yar had gone to her hometown and and had taken plenty of men and woman with them after they spoke plenty of things to them.

They were given food and rode in luxurious carts.

This had gone on for five days, until one day they all awoke and had collars on them. They were told that they had made a tremendous depth and were now expected to pay.

She had managed to pay, by stealing and adding the small amount of money to her own. So she was let free, however she was forced to watch as every single one of the girls, widen their eyes and screamed for help and how each of the soldiers had a turn with each one of them.

Even as they made their way to Yar, the men were sold as slaves, while the girls were used by most of the men and woman in every town they passed by.

That entire time she neither drank nor ate anything.

Within Yar things were no different, however when a woman was found pregnant she was tossed out of the town and exchanged for another.

She learned that coins and power were everything, so she would take everything she wanted. However this was the first time, she had found someone that could counter every move she made.

One by one the men in the guard screamed as their beast were being taken out one at a time or in entire groups.

She smiled as they made contact with eighty seven carriages and their guards, in five days they would stop and enjoy themselves with the new products, first they needed them to wear them ought and later take them to the towns, after all they needed to pay for their own stay.

Still she would get her revenge on that scrive soon enough.

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]\[][]
2
It had been two weeks since the representatives of Yar had left and with the help of the minor guilds and the people of the new world they had stormed and disbanded every black market operation they had become aware of.

The knights from the empire helped out and absolutely demanded to be given the leaders of the organisation, everyone that had been associated with them. They took them into the uncharted lands and had yet to return, to think that over a thousand people were found and the amount of people were only growing.

Plans for a jail were being drawn and reality everyone just wanted to find an island and leave all of these people there, no one even tried to lie to themselves about what the knights would be\are doing to the prisoners.

Now new information had been uncovered about the portals, there were seven of them and in the world of Elder Tales all seven could be found. That thought alone was worrying, not because the portals could become active at any moment, but because of where the portals were located.

Four between Akihabara home of the Round Table Alliance but and Susukino where Silver Sword was located, now to add further stress Isaac the leader of one of the combat guilds was now getting married in a few days.

Shiroe knew the man was older than him, but for the man to now be married from not one but two womam….

Still with more of the issues going on within the town a name was finally being taken and by some reason the people as a hole voted for the name Jewel. Really it was the first time people actually agreed o something like this.

Now the new problem that had beenuncovered by the people of the land and Silver Sword, there were two portals in every world, since Elder Tales was the main portal section it had all seven, but every other world had a connection to Elder Tails and one of the other seven.

From what the people of the land managed to translate, the portal seemed to work like this, once a person manages to arrive at another world they no longer need the portal to get to said world they can simply teleport there.

The catch was one needed to find the portal and from there find the other six, sure they could use the onse in elder tales, but they still had to find them not to mention that there was a big chance that on the other side there could be an armie just waiting to attack.

The new world, elder tales and the nowclosely watched Valhalla, were proof of why one should treat these portals as if something dangerous was on the other side.

Trade deals were being carried out by the people of the land and vast amounts of food-warm clothing and potions were heading Susukino, while to Akihabara meats-fruits and clothing was being brought in.

It was now impossible to separate the words and should they be separated, it would be disastrous for everyone involved.

Things were getting quiet and small traces of technology were being brought in and now people had begun to to move into the wastelands. This brought problem in on its own, there was a canyon and when it was searched no trace of any animal or plant life.

So the sewer system simply thrue everything there, the amount of waste was small but if the town kept growing who knew how it might affect the environment.

The excess water had been dealt with and life had finally settled finally everyone could get back to their everyday tire, that alone was a problem. The adventurers had become known as a kind of noble individual said to be blessed by whatever god and the fact that years infiltrators had been uncovered and dealt with further made this belief settle into the people's minds.

Knights that had deserted their kingdoms out of disgust, had lost all of their men and miraculously found Jewel or simply were given a dishonorable discharge had begun to try and join the guilds.

At first this wasn't an issue, until they began to wear the guilds markings, it's said that tho the adventures really don't have a problem with each other. A kind of rivalry has begun to spring up among the accepted knights.

All in all things were going great and soon life would become calm once again or so shiroe hoped, sadly life never worked out this way. It wasn't until a month after the hole Yar incident when a large and what was called final group of refugees came in.

It was composed of people from all kinds, some that were short like dwarfs and people that could wield this world magic. They were all starving and the moment they arrived the only thing that stopped them from storming the merchant area was the fact that the second walls was up.

Hell a lot of them simply thrue themselves at the waterways and drank straight from there.

If it hadn't been for the new knights quick action in restraining the mad group, who knows what they would have done.

So he and the rest of the adventurers were forced to call back the knight captain, in order for him and his men to help with the new batch of people. That there lied the issue, the original part of the refugee problem was being dealt with and were now having their homes built.

Needless to say, this new group both became a blessing and a huge problem.

The people had begun to create an economy on their own in this regard, men that had the brains made huge profits in mines, carrying heavy loads of stones. The farmlands now had a lot more competition and food by no means was scarce, but it wasn't plentiful either.

Employment remained the same and that there lied an issue, what would these people do when the town was complete?

Shiroe rubbed between his eyes and let the thought go, people needed to do things on their own and for things to advance some stuff needed to die out.

No body liked it but refugees in huge numbers were a big problem, they didn't adapt to the lands culture or ways of the world around them and that causedproblems.

The guilds had a mansion in there power now.

Shiroe signed a document in front of him and signed off on i. There were too many people so another town had to be built. Unfortunately that meant that the large ice pillage needed to be made but they just couldn't keep so many people here and it was just a matter of time before something truly problematic happened.

Either way the town was expanding into the uncharted areas, however no matter how much shiroe wanted to justify this action, he knew it was nothing more than damagecontrol. A necessary evil and that meant people needed to suffer and it was highly possible the people would become violent and it was more than likely that a lot of them would die.

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It is said that in life only two things are certain, one anything can go wrong will go wrong and that things happen no matter how hard one tries to stop it.

Word had begun to spread between the various kingdoms, not between nobles or even the holy orders, not even the magic users and those that hunted them.

No word had begun to spread from person to person, servants of wealthy merchants whose hearing was near superhuman had over heard their employers speaking of the jewel in the dessert, a land so blessed that should one survive the journey getting therethey would be met by the light of Heaven.

Its said that one can see the colors in the sky for miles and that the air is so cool that its impossible to get overly heated there, yet at the same time, the heat of the sun makes it so warm that there is an abundance of food and everything one can want.

Knights are said to patrol the edges of the kingdom, ever vigilant and amongst them those that have committed crimes and wish to remove their stain and give their life worth, march until the day they are recognized and are lifted up into the ranks.

They say that the roads are so carefully constructed that water flows thru them freely and that one can see children of all kinds playing together, be they Human-Elf or beast man.

They say that several pillars made of ice representing a God stand as testament to their blessing of the Kingdom and its people.

However amongst these words, its said that the surrounding lands are dead and dying, almost as if this kingdom was a glittering light against the darkness.

A land without water, no a land that had been losing all of its water was suddenly blessed with pillars of ice that melt providing the much needed resource. As for the crops they are said to be so sweet, that a small portion is eagerly sought after, the same goes for what little meat is known to have come from there.

What has caught the organizations attention however is the reports of the immortal creatures that live in those lands, Elf -Human and beast man, they are the true rulers of those lands.
However should one ask about them, few would dare speak ill of them, not because of fear, but rather few have any reason to.

Knights - Priest -Merchant and Commoner alike all agree on a few things, the Adventures have absolutely no interest in ruling anything and are only kept in the kingdom do to the people fearing that should they leave, someone or something might take advantage of their absence and destroy everything.

It was a fear that held a lot of weight, especially in these dark times.

The second thing that was agreed on, was that in their eyes no one was greater than the last, one could be a king and he would be seen on equal footing as a beggar.

One would think this to be a kind of arrogance, however its suspected that they do not see the person, but rather the soul of the individual.

The last thing that is agreed on, is that no one has truly seen their power, for the one occasion that a small portion was demonstrated, it brought the people to their knees.

So like the time before and the one beforethat one, the order sends one of their own to investigate.

[][]

Few could understand the honor and the privilege it is to serve a Guild. Be it as a servant- soldier- merchant- scholar and so on, in fact one could even say that being granted such a position was a miracle in it's self.

They would be right, for every thousand people that worked for an adventurer maybe one would be taken as a servant and even then that was a stretch. Once a person is accepted by that adventurer they are tout to reed- write and any other skill that adventurer knows be it sorcery, wood working and more.
The same applies to those that serve a guild, however a guild servant is tough y everyone in that guild, rather then just the one.

Of course this applies to himself and the woman in his family, it was strange. ... ... there were no rivals among the adventurers, no that applied to the knights that were trying to join the guilds or had already joined one of the guilds.

It was easy to see what guild was growing both in number and in influence, however that was only in the surface. Infact if one looked closely they would see things were completely different.

Where the Crescent Moon was seen as weak and only good for taking care of children and housing the weak, in reality they had the support of both the people and several guilds.

As for the House of the Horizon, its measly twenty servants had learned that if one word was uttered by the guild, people would listen and things would be done.

The house was strange not overly grown to be something as big as a palace, but to large to simplify be called a house, tho the Guild members refered to it as such.

In the morning, the smell of warm bread greeted a person, it lingered in a strange dance, as it joined the cool taste of the holy waters and warm touch of the dessert wind.

The wood and stone gave of a sense of being inside a lords mansion, while at the same time filling ones self with a sense of pride, for just being able to live in it.

The hall- rooms- bookshelves and chairs were all decorated with archaic runes, along side the figurines of knights and gods alike. Yet strangely enough there were no trophies, no armors taken from the battlefield of the corpses of defeated enemies, no sigils of figures of note of concord houses, none of that, only the emblem and the name of Log Horizon was shown.

One would say this was a sign of weaknesses, yet he thought otherwise. Where others needed to show the mattered, by displaying their accomplishments and there by showing people that it was best not to mess with them.

The House of the Horizon, simply showed its name, no one needed to know that it was a powerful guild, for simply saying its name would instantly silence a room filled with criminals.

Still it was time to get out of bed and start to work.

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All ready scrolls and letters were being brought in, some that needed to be checked for any signs of unwelcomed magic, others were nothing more then simple invitations to far away kingdoms, sent by arrogant lords or greedy merchants.

Already the adventurers were up and about doing this and that, if one didn't pay attention they would have mistaken them for just another group of servants.

He had worked for other people in his life and the experiences were all different, yet one thing remained the same in all of those times. There are two groups the boss and the worker's.

Yet here in this place that division was not gone, but it certainly wasn't pushed... In reality there were no words other than it was home.

There was a plate waiting for him and several of his fellow servants were seated on the table eating. No one said anything, not because they couldn't but for the simple reason they had nothing to talk about.

He ate his meal quietly and when he was done het set out to do his usual work. He swept the front of the guild house and collected whatever exes water might have approach the mansion during the night and gathered the strange ice crystals that didnt ever melt.

He cut as much as he could out of the strange plant that seemed to grow over night, everyday the green vines would grow closer to the houses and so people would cut the strange plant down only for it to grow back every night.

Finally finished with this part of his daily activities, he briefly looks up to see the center pillar and all its beauty. There was talk about one more pillar being created, it would be the last one jewel would have, however its whispered that the adventurers were hesitant to build it.

There was magic in the air, that everyone knew, however its spoken in whispers that something just wasn't right.

Plants grew to quickly, ice lingered when it should melt away, water instantly banished the moment ascertain distance was made between the traveler and jewel.

Barren dirt that broke as one stepped on it gave way to a land filled with bones, the unfortunate souls that died trying to escape the drought.

There were story's they say that the waters extend far beyond jewel, they say they travel for what seem like miles, tru broken dead earth in lines so orderly one could say the waters traveled with a reason. One could even say that the waters themselves were alive.

Still none of this mattered for the adventures kept everyone safe and the lands were plentiful and the waters fresh, so the last pillar had to be built.
There was even talk that mages wanted to prove that they two could be trusted with the secrets of the waters, that they themselves wanted to build the last pillar.

Even if such an act, would require every single mage in the city.

However such an act could even be called foolish, the first time a pillar was created, the sheer power the adventurers demonstrated was so great that it brought ordinary people down, few were lucky to be brought down to their knees but they were the exception.

He finally brought himself out of the worlds of thought and walked to his destination, a room filled with boxes ,a-1/': were the symbols placed on them and it was up to him to put them in their proper place.

He stopped and remember what his father told him, that drunken fools boasted about how they could defeat an adventurer and keep them dead, no one cared especially since the rooms were usually filled with several adventurers, full-grown or otherwise children.

They didn't seem to mind, in fact they even joined in, saying how they to could do such an act.

However there was something his father told him, it is said that in one occasion one of the adventures had become enraged. His power was so great that the ground he stood on, broke even if the man hadn't taken a single step.

His father told him that the man spoke about the adventures greed and how they boasted about being good, when there were so many people without homes and food, while they themselves lived in luxury.

He said that the adventures hesitation in building the last pillar was an act of rebellion against the gods that had given them power.

Several more things were said until the adventure had had enough, his father didn't dare say what happened next however he did say that the adventure though the man was drunk, at least until he stood next to him.

His father only said that the fury in the adventures eyes was so great that they glowed, whatever he saw the moment he reached the man was so disturbing that the inly words his father said after that was the simple word.

Dust.

This was another reason to finish the construction of the last pillar, however his mind soon returned as the sound of an explosion cought his attention.

He ran outside and found that the last pillar had been built, North- south- East- West and Center.

The five pillars stood and the rainbow grew, like the time before and the times before that, the waters flowed, however something wasnt right, a light connecting each pillar was now seen and rain returned.

It rained for the rest of the day and even through the night, the next day the sun was out and the sight that greeted him was a peculiar one.

There was so much fruit at the entrance of every door that one could eat it all in a week and still not finished it, wine and silver along with it.

The rest of the day was spent marking down who had received what and preparing for something to happen, the words waiting fir the other shoe to drop, was said by several different adventures.

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Word of the blessings soon spread and like rats and insects the people came, searching for wealth that didn't exist, searching for a better life or something that they themselves didn't know.

The lost souls of the worthless looking for a meaning a reason to live.

All of this caused the housing problem to only increase and drive the adventures to become even more involved with the city's affairs and that was something they absolutely Hated.

Whatever sense of normality that had been born was now gone, the peace that had come was replaced by uncertainty. Criminals now walked the allies and were being constantly removed by the knights or the adventures themselves.

The refuge town, had become a metropolis of its own, its people more resentful of those with actual houses, yet even they began to flourish. All of the extra hands went into gathering the much needed stone, the material was rare now.

Stone, to think he would live to see the day stone would be so valuable that merchant's would trade gold for it.
The story's were true, even rock's could be something valuable if the merchant was skilled enough.

Still, rocks touched by the holy waters were something so rare that kings would pay a high price for the stones. Unfortunately every stone was being used to build the houses- roads- waterways and more.

To say that a single rock could be spared was foolish. Especially considering that the farther one got from Jewels the more and more brittle the material became.

Then there was the fact that the stones themselves were keeping the holy waters from spilling out into the dead lands. Few were daring to bring any of the gods curse upon them, for causing the waters to spill and be lost.

So with everything that was going on he somehow found himself here standing in front of Jewels entrance.

He exhaled and reached into a large brown bag he had with him and took out a simple wooden chair, a brown table, a sheet of paper and a pen and ink, the last of the material would be used to write a simple sign.

Oh he almost forgot about the most important thing, a large sheet he took it out and began to write.

Fifty people were all that were needed, but he could go as far as a hundred any more and it would be difficult to keep secret what was about to be done.

Another pillar was going to be built, one that signaled the mark of where another town would be started.
It needed to be far enough, as for it not to mess with the crops, yet close enough that either town was in any danger they could rely on one another.

There were talks about another pillar being made, one so great that the adventurers would stop making any more, its power would be so strong that it could single-handedly sustain the lands- both towns and all of the magical defenses all on its own.

It would be a last line of defense should anything happen to all of the other pillars.

However the problem remained, the land needed to be checked for any taint of the foul powers and be inspected as to know that under the right circumstances crops could grow and a town could be born.

So here he was, waiting for people to sign up for a chance to venture into the dead lands and unsurprisingly bo one did.

He closed his eyes for a minute by Sigmar it was only a minute, perhaps even less, yet the moment he opened his eyes the younger members of the guild were signing their names.

Among them was the druid of the Crescent Moon a small yet plump girl, she was living proof that there was something more to the alliance between the house of the crescent moon and the house of the horizon.

With them was a woman, tho she dressed like a fool she was none the less an adventurer. She was from the house of the Silver Sword, yet she passed her days among the horizon members, particularly with the knight.

She clung on to him that there was talk among the people that she was in fact the lords future wife, if that was true then she would be one of two for the elven leader of the Crescent Moon could be seen often doing the same, yet in a more reserved way

Infact if both woman found each other near the knight, the would end up bickering about witch one of them he preferred.

The guild members finished signing their name's and agreed to meet up first thing in the morning. There was nothing he could do, after all they were adventures and adventures did whatever they wanted.

Soon however a woman dressed in tight form fitting clothes signed up, Ashley was her name.

Her clothing left little to the imagination, as every curve was marked out, so much so that if he looked closely he could see the outline of...

Several hours passed after that and a young man no older than himself took one look at the sign and wrote his name.

Jake, he was young around twelve or thirteen, short brown hair and a pair of hopeful brown eyes to match. The boy smiled at him and walked away.

He sat there for the longest moment, asking himself if he should erase the boys name, he was to weak for any combat, but fir stone work he looked perfect for the job.

At the end what should have been a group of fifty, turned out to be no more then a group that held three young boys, three girls a full grown adventure and two people he didn't know.

It wasn't ideal but he would make it work after all they were just going to check out some dirt and rocks.

What was the worst that could happen.

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He woke up far to early for his own liking and began to work he needed to make sure his supplies were all in order and gather up whatever was missing.

The sun wasn't even up, yet he found the children already fully awake, polishing armors and sharpening words.
Magic bags were being filled with tents and other traveling material.

The room was filled with the sounds of joyful laughter and eager voices the kind he wondered if at one point in life he himself had.

Still there was no time for him to waste, he needed to make sure everything was in order, the dead lands had changed and any remnants of what they once were was now gone.

So as much as he wished an expert would be sent out instead of himself was but a hopeless wish, what good was en expert when there was no real desire to do something.
So he was sent to go out and look around, while true that the adventurers wanted to build a nother pillar and start the sister town, they didn't dare endanger the people, however the town rulers, its human rulers weren't so kind.

They saw the ever growing problems and exploding crime, so they simply choose to ignore the adventures warnings and look into it anyways. After all nothing would change if no such area was found and if it was, well then a lot of the filth could be dealt with.

Water- shovel- a sword just to be safe- dried food and several different pairs of clothes for when the weather acted up. Of course he had his tent and traveling supplies and finally the last of his supplies a map of jewel and the surrounding area, it wasn't much considering it only had the towns streets, houses and tents all marked out, sure there was the usual land mark but other than that there was nothing of interest

The map also had the roads the merchants took to come and go to and from the town. Plus there was the various farmlands and waterways the people used to drink whenever outside the town.

The only real thing of note were the markings of many fingers of that stretched out into the dead lands, life giving waters that moved about as if with a purpose.

He exhaled it was time to get something to eat and head to the entrance of Jewel, he found a plate waiting for him, his name written on it. The moment he bit into the fried chicken his eyes watered, it was one of the best meal he ever had.

He gave a brief prayer of thanks for the wonderful meal and walked out, it was time for the journey.

[][]

Jewel was as different during the day as it was at night, in fact both early morning and twilight were as different from each other as salt water was from fresh water.

Merchant's and Smith's were just cumming out, the ice was everywhere and respected both the slowly vanishing stars and the red orange color's began to mingle themselves with the threads of power that connected the pillars, before dissolving into the rainbow of power that covered the skies.

Jewel was said to be unique among the realms, not that he would know, he had lived his entire life in one of the many unnamed villages, before the great drought.

Back then all he cared about was that no one noticed him. Now the boy that was his families embarrassment belonged to a guild and everyone looked at him.

The tripe would last at least nine day's, it was supposed to be only a brief thing but he was going to take advantage of it and see just how bad things are, outside of the safety of the magical protection Jewel has.

He finally reached the tents, and noticed that several fruit trees had taken root, bushes that had sweet smelling roses and small berries of all kinds.

Strangely the waters even had some kind of fish swimming about, he saw the people already up and about. The men heading out to work and the woman tending to the homes.

The occasional Knight walked past him, curious to see why a servant of a guild house was in the edges of the city, but nonetheless left him alone.

Finally he reached the entrance to Jewel and noticed that there was an extra person. His hart nearly stopped, dressed in an ancient yet simple knight armor, he carried a shield both as large and as heavy that on its own it could be considered a defensive wall.

His name is Lord Nautsu, a man that desires to see the undergarments of every beautiful woman, as long as they are wearing them of course.
Gifted with a kind and patient personality, he is always seen with a bright smile, his light peach skin combine with his short spiky light black hair, makes him seem younger then wat he really is.

On his back Tetora clung on to him, her small to hat, short trousers that left her legs so exposed that her if one looked closely they could see the outlines of her behind . Yet her back vest that was placed over her long white shirt, long white knee socks and red boots.

Her long pink hair made her seem as if she was much younger than she truly was, an entertainer of sorts, she can be found casting small spells, using them to entertain children.

Two fully grown adventures decided to tag along.

He could hear the sound of the saliva in his mouth and how it acted like glue keeping his mouth shut. Every step now seemed to make him feel weak everytime he gave it.

This continued until he reached the two and noticed that the rest of the team was already next to the two seniors.

He took a long deep breath and began to speak hoping he didn't insult both the adventures and the two people.

"Alright you all know the mission, we are just to look around the outside of Jewels magical protection and nothing more.
I wont lie to anyone, we might have to fight of monsters, bandits and hungry animals, so if you want to change your mined now is your chance. "

"We will do introductions as we walk. " he said briefly waiting for anyone to say something, or simply leave, instead bright smiles were all that were given to him.

With nothing els to say or do he simply began to walk, away from any of the wondering waters and in the opposite direction from where the distant kingdoms were said to be.

The rest of his team followed him and if he was perfectly honest, that scared him. The land had changed and he didn't know what was out there.

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For a while no one spoke no because they were to up tight or didn't have anything to say, but rather they were all busy taking in the sights and listening to the world outside the city.

The various unused roads made by the refugees in the time they came to Jewel out of desperation, the paths made by the feet of thousands of people and animals alike.

Now the roads were left abandon, with only the knights and the farmers traveling thru them.

From time to time, they would see theoccasional stray dog, rock lizard and hungry snake. The waters flowed here constantly diving back the dead lands quenching the wheat- corn- tomatoes and various other crops thirst.

It wasn't unusual to see several kinds of fish swimming around and several kinds of birds as well. Of course that meant that whatever ate the animal's was also near, in the distance, trees could be seen and the small specs of people walking around were near them.

A farmer that was headed to inspect the crops on the edge of the farmlands offered to give them a ride in his wagon and they gratefully accepted.

Even before they reached the edge, the air lost its taste, long gone was the cool taste of the holy waters, the songs of the birds and the feeling of being safe.

The moment the wagon stopped was when they saw it, land so dry that no plants lived, there was no water anywhere and the land was covered with the remains of those that failed to reach Jewel.

They gave their thanks to the farmer and entered the lost lands, however there was no way of knowing how they could or would return, so every fifty steps they would stop and hammer in an iron bar into the ground and tie a rope to it.

It would be their guide back home, normally it would take seven days to walk to the edge but the animal pulling the wagon was said to be amongst the fastest in all the realms.

They had only been out of the protection of the magical barrier that the pillars provided and he already wanted to go back.

There was an uneasy silence here, like if someone, something was watching you, even tho its completely flat ground and one can see for miles.

Still no one said anything, they didn't dare to, his guess was they felt the same way he did.
They walked and hammered the rest of the day, rationing their water until the sun began to set.

The mist began to reach them and with it so did life, plants sprung up lighting the once dead lands with their glowing lights, light green- red- blue and white.
The mist was welcomed by everyone in the team, however all around then they could hear the animals walking, it was to hot for them during the day, so they hunted at night.

According to the knight's one needed to walk at least three days for anything truly dangerous to appear, the magic in the mist made most evils flee, after those three days the knights simply said it was better to kill the people sentenced to such a fate.

They took turns sleeping three would stay awake allowing the rest to sleep and then they would switch.

That night he dreamt about creatures with white wings that farried the dead away to a paradise that dream was replaced with the image of a vast empire made of pyramids and living skeletons.

A light shove woke him up, it was time for him to stay awake and let the others sleep.

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Malice awoke again the cursed mist entered her kingdom, she had grown to hate them and everything that flourished within them.

She had survived the time before the End Times, lived thru the Age of Myth and the Age of Chaos.

Well maybe not lived, she hadn't been alive for a long time, not since that mad man that devil stole her life along with her people's.

Back then she was nothing more than a lowly nobles daughter, utterly worthless in the courts and to far above the commoners to be one of them.
She was destined to be nothing more than another concubine of some highborn, she didn't care in fact she was looking forward to it, then she died in an instant.

For years so long they could not be counted she had been nothing more than a skeleton and then one day the mist came and woke her up.
She was completely alone, she searched desperately for someone anyone, but she was alone.

A wondering skeleton and nothing more, so she began to search for answers looking thru ancient magical tomes, taping into the power of death, hoping that somehow someway she could revive or return to her long gone family.

It was useless, the more magic she gained the stronger was her presence in the realm of the living, yet if she let the power slip, she would find that after a wile she would wake up and be somewhere else.

She would become nothing more than a wondering corps. That scared her more than being what she was.

During the day she would travel to the edge of the realm of life, the paradise where everything everyone was alive and stand there watching waiting for her turn to be allowed in.

At night the mist would come and force her to relive everything, including the time she was sleeping.

Malice wanted to die, but how could one die if they were already dead.

Then she saw them amongst the humans, like the mythical creatures the story's talked about.
They shined so brightly that if she had had eyes, she would have gone blind. Malicecalled out to them, screaming that they had made a mistake that her soul had been stuck in her dead body, but they never heard her.

One day however for whatever reason several young angels accompanied by two of their seniors and two humans left the realm of the living.

Malice was so exited that she used herpowers to remove the dust from her worn out cloths, casting spells making them look as new as the day she first got them.

She could feel it their light flowed into her, calling her to their side no to his side. The angels sould glowed brighter and brighter, sending pulses of power into both the material and inmaterial .

Malice could feel meat- tendons - blood, all forming bringing her back to life. She now knew her purpose, she was still going to be a lords concubine and to be honest she was looking forward to it.

Every step she gave was a little stronger, her power mixing in with his, she wondered if she could convince him to revive the dead kingdom and if she could bare him many inheritors.

She wondered who her new sisters would be and if they would accept her, or if they would see her as competition.

With her final step she stood next to the knight and kneeled in front of him, swearing her body to him and calling that the she passed was the day she would leave him.

Malice head exploded with the images of a black sky with a small blue orb, an ocean made of both power and stars, city's so vast that they seemed endless.

She thru herself at her destined one and with a kiss filled with the passion of every age she existed in, malice swore she had been granted passage into paradise.

Malice bursted into light vanishing from the realm of the living only leaving the angels and their companions startled of what they had seen.

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The pulse of power was felt thru the earth, sky and seas, the memories of long dead worlds began to dance in the air bursting into starlight.

The wandering dead found themselves filled with the power of paradise and how their skeletal and ghostly forms returned to the way they were before all of the madness, they gave but a single breath of life and bursted into light, vanishing into paradise leaving behind the realm of the living.

The door had been opened and the rain spread throughout the realms cleansing them and even if they failed to do so, they woke long forgotten memories and snatching lost souls, farying them into the realm of memories.

So great was the disturbance that for a brief instance all of the fighting ceased, men - woman- children -plant -animal and even the plants looked to the skies remembering things long forgotten, only for those memories to vanish once again.

In areas long forgotten the dead rose came back to life and bursted into star light, in others for the first time in generation's plants began to grow and sickness was cleanse, injured people found their wounds heald and those that spread decease and pain saw their power hindered.

As for those that relished death, they held a particular hate for what was happening, here before them was a realm of the dead so grand yet they were unable to even touch it.
Even worse was the fact that, the rulers of said realm actually cherished life.

Why would a euler of death care for life other then allowing it to grow only to spread more death.

As for those that protected the living, they did not see this realm as an ally for it was not apart the eight realms and whatever god lived there it didn't show itself.

Unfortunately for the adventures and the mortals, they had noway of knowing any of this.
No the only thing the knew was that the world around them was covered in star light.

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It echoedthrough the realms, its sound so deep and hollow that those that heard it could swear they were being dragged into an endless pit.

Life and death had their order whatever it was, yet this new power wasn't alive, yet it wasn't dead either.
Age only made it stronger and life seemed to make it grow, by no means was it indestructible. No in fact it was infuriatingly frail, yet death somehow made it seem complete.

A living embodiment if the cycle of life and death, yet there was something else there, not quite magic, not quite chaos and not quite starlight.

Whatever it was it was an abomination, there was fertile ground but disease could not would not take root, there were warriors that thrived in battle, lived for the thrill of it but refused to give in to the madness.
There was abundance of everything, yet whatever its servants were refused to give in fully to any lust or greed.

No, none of this was right, the rain or was it light seemed to remind itself of times long gone, both so distant they might have well as been myth and so painful that no one save the mad ones of chaos would want to remember them.

But that was the thing the light, the rain was re minding itself.

It remembered births of children, the refreshing feeling of drinking cold water in a hot day, it remembered every face ever created and lost.

It remembered.

Thought the mortal realms both mortal and immortal attempted to touch the power and learn to use it, yet they would never be able to, for the power would slip thru their fingers.

A man in the verge of death remembered his daughters birth and the day he first met his wife, before his tear stained face was covered in a bright smile.
He could see them both calling to him, welcoming him, in an instant starlight left the mans body and he passed on.

On a nother land a dessert was suddenly covered in green vegetation, yet when an animal tried to eat a single leaf, it all bursted out in to light.

This continued throughout the night, day depending on what realm it was, but it was none the less the same, memories were being collected and with them the dead.