AnnouA Soldier's Life: Book 3 The Shimmering Labyrinth

  So this is the start of book 3. It will not be finished here before it is released on Kindle as an ebook. I think that will be November 1. So I am not going to post it to KU until RR gets all the chapters. So it will only be stubbed after all the chapters are posted here. This is because you all are the ones who made the story e to life and motivated me.

  Book 2 is going to Kindle Unlimited in two weeks. If you want to support the release you preorder here:

  https:///amazon/B0CYMC235R

  The more preorders the book has the higher it rea the best seller's list. The audible for book 2 will probably be out in August.

  Chapter 122 Good Samaritan

  As the paered the disbelief of my presehey came by to sp me on the baot gently—and gratute me once again for a miraculous survival. I think the sps were to make sure I was actually here and not an illusion. With the wele done, I started eating breakfast in ear.

  I retty sure Firth started whispering a new niame for me around the table: The Revenant. He thought it was funny, but I did not. Konstantin had called me that before he almost attacked me. Brutus informed me that a revenant was an undead creature that rose from its grave to aveself.

  As the excitement of my return from the dead once again ebbed, Castile got everyone’s attention, “At this point, it is safe to say Fortuna is watg over Eryk. We are going to need her supervision. We leave for the Elven Ruins of Caelora tomorrow after Konstantin and Fvius return.”

  Mateo was the first to break his foe, “Isn’t that the ruins we passed on that old road? The one filled with ghosts?”

  Castile nodded, “Specters, not ghosts. We are going to explore the ruins and look for the entrao a dungeoioned in the books recovered from the ruins a long time ago.”

  Surprisingly, Benito asked a smart question: “Would we get another dungeon discovery fee from the Adventurer’s Guild if we find it?”

  Delmar stepped forward, “If we find it, yes. But most likely, any reward would be deyed. The Duchess o use the information to barter with the Emperor to add the surrounding nds, and we would also have to operade road.”

  Firth groaned, “We will have to take care of that pack of dire wolves then.”

  Delmar affirmed the annou, “Yes, the dire wolves will o be handled, but only after we firm the dungeos and is viable.”

  “How are we going to kill the specters? Only Delmar and Konstantin have runic ons,” someone asked from the table far to my right.

  Castile couldn’t tain a smile, “The Duchess called in some favors. I have twenty runic arrows for Bze, and fifteen each for Pavel and Fvius. Delmar has been given a runig sword, and I have two more to assign.” Those three were the pany’s best archers, so her division of arrows made sense.

  Adrian stepped forward, “Those two bdes will be wielded by the best swordsmen among you lot.” Everyoarted eyeing everyone else, trying to figure out who that would be.

  “Should have gotten runic spears,” Firth mented loudly enough for everyoo hear. He was an excellent spearman and average swordsman in the pany.

  Adrian s him, “What we have are bdes, Firth, and we are thankful for them. This evening, we will have everyone oraining grounds to test for the two bdes.” That got ripples of excitement from the table. Any type of petition was wele—especially oh a reward at the end.

  “We also have a kettle of souls, men. It permaly banish a specter so it ot e back to hinder us again,” Castile added emphatically to ence everyone. I don’t think the mehat the specters regeed over time iy. Being able to vanquish them permaly was a huge boon.

  Adrian annouo the growing fervor of versation, “You have the remainder of the day off. Rest and enjoy your time iy. It may be a few weeks before we see the forts of walls again.”

  Firth added, “At least walls that are not manned by the spirits of the dead.” His edic delivery got ughs from everyone as they made their way out.

  Brutus came to talk with me, “ I buy the Revenant a drink iy?” I rolled my eyes and hoped this niame disappeared as quickly as the st one had.

  We walked together to the establishment iy that the other men favored. Brutus told me the ale tasted foul but was strong, and the food was det. As we entered, I was also favored by all the city and citadel guards our men had been training. We found a table, and a woman came by, and Brutus said, “Two specials and two ales.”

  He leaned into me eagerly, “So tell me how you escaped a dragon.”

  “Not much to tell. It was not a true dragon, anyway,” I paused. I was not going to tell Brutus I could heal. “I was injured but was lucky as the elven summoner Konstantin had struck down with an arrow had a healing potion.” That reminded me that I had three potions that o be identified by the Schor. “I was nearly killed but was able to heal. The wyvern—was exhausted from fightiion. It just lost its train of thought in the fight, and I prevailed.” I smiled at the fused Brutus by the bullshit story. He was expeg some hero’s tale, but I was no hero.

  We sipped ale, waiting for the food as I deflected Brutus’ questions about how I prevailed. “Did Quentin have a family?” I asked after the Legionnaire, who the hill giant had killed. It was an attempt to steer the versation away from me. Brutus was clearly frustrated at my storytelling capabilities.

  “Quentin?” Brutus recalled him with a frown as he had been one of Durandus’ men with Brutus. “No, well, no wife or kids. His parents owned a few sheep farms outside a city in the western Empire. I think they were well off. He joihe Legion to learn to fight and serve the Emperor.” Death was onpce, and besides an h of the dead, they were generally not discussed again among the men after falling in battle.

  The food was brought out, and it was a small pie. Brutus paid a rge copper for both of us. It was some fatty meat with carrots in gravy ihick crust. It was good, and we paused our versation. After the meal, I decided to go for a ride, and Brutus followed me to the stables, still asking unanswered questions. I found Ginger iables, and she set I had left her for so long. At least, that is what I assumed, as she kept pushing her head into my chest strongly and pushing me back.

  “Fine, girl. We go out for a ride. After the ride, an apple is in your future.” She snorted an affirmative, and I guessed she missed the apples more than me. I saddled Ginger, and Brutus ughed at me for talking to a horse. But really, I was trying to get away from him and his incessant questions.

  “Eryk, have fun on your ride. I will see you tonight when I gain ownership of one of the runic bdes,” Brutus smirked as he left. Brutus was one of the best men in the pany with a spear but had also trained with swrowing up. If I could use my air shield, I might have a good ce of g one of the bdes.

  I made my way out of the Citadel and they. The tryside was dotted with dozens of campsites made up of wagons and improvised shelters. The Duchess bit off more than she could chew when she opened her arms to all these refugees. It might not have been so bad if food was not going to be very scarce soon.

  I was taking a path through the tents to get into the woods, pnning to let Ginger run for a while. The clot to the people, the more terrible things looked for them. There was a cart from the city, and I could see two Citadel guards and some of the servants handing out food. Lareen was not among them. Right now, hunger was not a problem. When food became an issue, things were less safe for the people.

  I ehe woods and started into a gallop, and Ginger responded immediately, uanding she was free to go as fast as she wanted. I got my body in synch with hers as she sprihrough the woods, churring up the soft ground. The cold early m air felt good on my face as I raced past surprised fers. She sted almost five mi a sprint before easing off and panting hard. I patted her neck as she came to a stop, and I dismouo give her the promised apple.

  A few people nearby stared at us. I saw some viable blood grass and was sidering harvesting it when a voice off to my left asked, “Legionnaire? Is that you? The one from the baths in Macha?”

  I turo find a dirty young woman with a basket filled with tubers. Two other young women stood just behind her, just as dirty from digging in the dirt. It took me a moment to remember the face, “a?” I asked, finally reizing the young woman from Macha baths.

  “It is you!” She said, surprised.

  “I heard about Macha falling and the city walls crumbling,” I said solingly. “Did your brother make it out alive?” I asked, remembering her brother was a member of the city guard.

  Her dirty smile fell from her face, and tears started to well up. “I am sorry that I asked. You made it to a safe city. The Duchess is a good woman.”

  Her throat was a little tight as she spoke, “The Duchess is kind, but there is not much work for a bath girl iy.” She tried to ugh, but I could tell things were not going well for her. She looked thihan I remembered, and her clothes were soiled from digging. “We,” she indicated her two panions, “all worked ihs. Now, we try to supplement the food allocation from the woods but are having to venture further and further from the city. It is dangerous, and we are worried about the other fers and monsters.”

  I went to Ginger and preteo root around in the empty saddle bags. I pulled out a ten-pound block of hard cheese and a rge jar of berry preserves from my dimensional space. I walked back to the three women. “Here, you have these supplies. They were for the wardens but I get more. I know a few people iy, and I might be able to find you some work.” The three young women had wide eyes as I handed a the food. a dropped her basket and juggled the two heavy foodstuffs. “Where I find you if I find you some work?”

  a was at a loss for words, so one of the thin women behind her volunteered, “The are three wagons f a triaside the east gate of Sobral. We are sharing the blue-painted wagon there.” I o her and mounted Ginger.

  As I rode away, I mumbled something Adrian told me, “You ’t save everyone, Eryk.” I would still try. I thought about finding them a job iadel, as that seemed the safest pce. Then I remembered how the Duchess used her servants. Not that I objected too hard to Lareen sedug me.

  I rode further into the woods and started harvesting mushrooms and flora as I thought about how to help. Then I realized that I knew one job that might help a. The two old women herbalists, Ly and Ria, had offered to buy my excess harvests. I had yet to return them since our first meeting, but a awo friends might be able to harvest for them.

  I spent until mid-day harvesting an assortment. Mushrooms were scarce, and blood grass and most of the other flora were starting to wilt from the chts. I returo the city with a sizable harvest and visited the two old women.

  “Look who decided to return, Ria,” Ly said as I eheir small herbalist shop. The mixture of sharp herbal sts hit me.

  I bowed, “I have bee busy by my mage ander, but I missed your wit and charm.”

  “If you are here to sell, yoing to be disappointed with what we offer. We are just ied in the edibles,” Ria said.

  I still pced everything I had found from a m’s work on the ter while Ly sorted through it and Ria dealt with a middle-aged male er. When she finished, she looked up, “Three silver, fifty copper. Best we do at the moment. Plenty of others are ing in to sell, and we ot process what we have.” Ria had joined Ly as the er had bought a tincture a.

  I nodded as if thinking, “What if I could find you some help? I know some of the refugees, good people.”

  Ria perked up, “Experienced herbalists?” She asked, ied.

  I frowned, “No, you would have to train them.”

  “Not ied, then,” Ria said with a dismissive wave. “Food is scard tighter. We wouldn’t be able to feed them, only pay them a pittance, and with the ing snow, things are going to get worse. Prices have already doubled and will double again before too long.”

  “What if I could give you some food? Not from the Duchess, but some Legion stores I have access to? It is not a lot. Maybe a month’s worth for the three women. I will also pay for their housing inside your shop. Is a silver a week for each fair?” The shop had a sed floor, so I assumed there were multiple rooms up there.

  “Three?” Ly barked a ugh. “You are keeping three women satisfied? You should have e to us, boy. There are two of us, and we know things they don’t!” She chuckled, and I smiled weakly, trying not to form aal images.

  I wao close the deal, “Is it a pact then? Three apprentices? A month’s worth of food and two gold s to train them for a year?” I tried to press an agreement on the herbalists.

  Ria seemed to be the deaker and held up her hand to have me pause as she thought, “No. The would cover housing your women, but a month’s worth of food is not enough. In a month, it is going to take two silver a week to feed a single persoing through wi is going to be hard.”

  I did not have a she of , so I offered, “Six gold for the year, then? They are all young and eager and will be able te and harvest for you in the local woods.”

  “Young and eager?” Ly smirked at me. I ighe insinuation.

  The two old herbalist sisters got together and discussed it privately. I waited patiently for their decision. Ria finally turned around, “The three of them will have to share a room upstairs. They will not be paid, but we will feed and house them for the year and teach them what we know. Six gold and whatever food you offer to help, Eryk.”

  I smiled in victory, “So you did remember my name! I give you a little extra? I would hate for the women not to have any moo buy clothes.”

  Ly’s aged face returned a smile, “Your name was kig around in here,” she tapped her temple. “What iment do you have in these women?” She asked curiously and maybe slightly suggestively.

  I went with the truth, “I met one of them in Macha. The other two—I don’t even know their names. I found them in the woods fing this m and figured I could help.”

  The two sisters looked at each other, “You are a strange one, Eryk. We agree to your terms.”

  The sisters left an hour ter as we wrote out a tract of sorts for them and the three women. I gave them the eight gold, mostly in silver, to take all three young women on as apprehey would be fed, housed, and paid fifty copper a week each. Both old womeheir shop to go to the blue wagon and make them the offer. I was supposed to wait in the shop for them to return.

  Instead, as soon as they left, I emptied my dimensional spaost of the food. Three jars of berry preserves, a bag of onions, thirty pounds of flour, twenty pounds of sugar, four jars of yeast, two casks of pickles, nine massive sami links, one block of hard cheese, twe bags of mushrooms, and two bags of potatoes. I decided to keep the honey and my remaining ration bars. The pile of foodstuffs looked like it was enough to feed a few people for a month. I left before the sisters returned, log the door behind me. I did not he adution and was just happy to know my had helped some people.

  I was at the stables iadel and unsaddling Gihe stable boys were not here, which surprised me. A pair of guards walked by outside on patrol, and I asked, “Where are the stable boys?”

  “They are probably in the ter courtyard with everyone else. Yion pany is holding a fighting petition,” he replied before tinuing to walk on his patrol with his partner. Did the test for the runic bdes start already? I rushed through Ginger’s rubdown and fed her before rushing to the tral courtyard. I thought I had a det ce of winning one of the two bdes for myself.

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