Mage And Wolf
Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Chapter 104

As it turns out, we can indeed add a grocery store of sorts. It’s either very expensive, or very cheap depending how you look at it.

Each recipe in the creation spell is an additional layer. The pre-made keep design that the Priestesses of The Nature God have a magical plan for includes a simple creation spell with 8 layers, making only the essentials for the garrison to be stationed there.

It’s meant to make a stew and bread, but it creates the individual ingredients for the stew, forcing the soldiers to cook their meals. I’m told they appreciate this, as it lets them get creative if they’ve got someone who can actually cook.

Later that Day

"As I mentioned, we can offer potatoes, corn, cabbage, onions, carrots, beef and lentils in bulk from the trading post. Free of charge to locals, but you’ll need to supply the mana stones to power the spell." I explain to the local council later that day.

Negotiations are going well, we’ve come to an agreement that they will run a restaurant in the post for travelers, while the Empire will supply the guards and land patrols there as needed, with the trading post itself still belonging to the Empire.

The walls are large, encompassing an old truck stop that was all but derelict until recently when adventurers started stopping in while hunting horned giant rabbits that are supposedly delicious and all over the area.

An hour after the Priestesses finish the guards arrive. 4 men riding a Drake, carrying a big, white object.

"Greetings High Priestess" The Drake rider salutes me when he lands, setting the object, a giant fuel tank as it turns out, over by the truck fuel pumps.

"The Drakon City council decided these will be a feature of all trading posts. 500 kilos of Diesel fuel can be made with a grade 1 monster core."

The locals and the merchant Caravan whistle at the luxury.

"Just add the stone and fuel?" Kanick asks.

"Yeah, no other charge they said. A service for the merchants."

"Now we know we can make it out and back. Guaranteed fuel stop right here"

It looks like nobody’s upset about having foreign guards stationed to protect the place, which is a good start.

A few Adventurers, or patrolling hunters as they call themselves show up that night, glad to have a warm bed in a secure location. The staff is minimal, but they assure us more guards will be coming along on the first patrol.

The next night brings us to the Silver Forest Pack grounds. They’re distinctly less happy to have a giant stone fort on their land. But they definitely want the trading post, and from the state of their warriors, they need the patrols.

"Have the portals been bad in the area? One of the Adventurer’s Guilds can put out a mission to get people out to help"

"One of the portals opened to a werewolf pack. Their alpha is a cultivator, but none of our wolves are. We’ve been doing everything we can to keep him from merging the packs." The Silver Forest Beta, their representative for this talk, tells me.

"We will have to get as many of the wolves as have a talent for it cultivating soon. But in the meantime, let’s go hunt."

A few minutes later the Alpha’s eyes glaze as he gets a mental communication from his pack.

"Attack on the East border" he calls changing direction.

"I’ll meet you there after checking the area" I call to him and activate Shadow Meld. It doesn’t mask smell, so it’s not the best against werewolves, but it should give me some advantage when I ambush the invading Alpha.

I quickly hear the sound of wolves fighting, so I cut my loop short and sneak behind the attackers lines.

The Silver Forest Alpha is engaged with a giant black wolf nearly twice his size, even were it not a cultivator he wouldn’t have stood a chance of protecting his pack from that beast.

The giant Alpha immediately breaks off when he catches my scent, shifting back to human and calling back his wolves.

"Who is there? Are you with the Lycan Council?" He asks, looking around to see if he can find me.

I see a chance for negotiation, so I stop the Shadow Meld skill when I’m between the packs, wearing my formal robes to introduce myself.

"Welcome Alpha, I am Katrina of the Lycan Council and High Priestess of the Dragon God of Death." He bows his head in submission.

"Might I ask what brings you here Highness? As you can see, this is just a territory squabble between Packs, nothing worth the Council’s time." His words are polite enough, but the tone hints he wants nothing better than for me to leave.

"The Council doesn’t see you on their list of Packs, Alpha. Tell me, are you a rogue Alpha, or under another Council’s jurisdiction?"

The whole pack bristles and snarls at the implication they are rogues, so that’s clearly not it.

"If you’re not rogues, what brings you so far from your borders?"

"The world we are from is collapsing. The very life of our home is being sucked dry to feed this world. We must have territory here or perish."

So it is another world like the one Lala came from. The portals didn’t flow evenly and the imbalance sucked their world dry in the end. I wonder what to do with this Alpha? His pack is strong, and we need that in this world. But collapsing an existing pack will just breed resentment.

"Might I suggest an open territory for you Alpha? Not all of this world is claimed by werewolves. In fact, my territory currently houses no pack, and it’s under the protection of the Dragon Gods"

"Is it good land? With room to run and game to eat?" The Alpha asks.

"It is wide open grassland. Plenty of game, and even more in the portals that keep opening. Anything in an unclaimed portal is yours for the taking unless there’s sentient beings on the other side."

"What about Hunters, and Vampires?"

"Our Hunters now hunt the Portals, not locals. The Vampires and Wolves have a truce in this world. You will not be attacked."

Good, his pack looks pretty impressed.

"We have a city full of supernatural beings and magic users. If you travel there you can see the map of what is open to build on without buying from the humans or magical locals. Running is free range for hundreds of kilometers, as long as you don’t eat or scare the livestock."

I show them the location of Arcana and the extent of the unclaimed territories on the map and silence falls as they consider the offer.

"Or you could live in the city itself, under the protection of the Dragon Gods and roam the territory as you please. Clearing Portals and taking bounties from the Guild to hunt for money."

They are all mind linking "We will consider your offer once we see your territory and your city, High Priestess." The Alpha concedes after a few minutes.

"In the name of Alpha Conan, this war is over. I suggest you pups get stronger if you want to keep your territory without the Council stepping in." He tosses the insult and takes his pack away in the direction of Arcana.

"One last thing Alpha. There’s a female former Alpha named Athena on the city guard. Be careful she doesn’t steal your seed, she’s got a thing for big strong Alpha wolves." The excited howling turns to happy howling as they finally realize there will be other wolves in the city and a chance for them to find their mates.

"Well, that’s solved. Now, where is the best spot along the highway to put that fortress?"

With no more objections, a suitable spot is soon located and construction begins. Though the Priestesses slept all day while an acolyte drove, this base won’t be done tonight, so the Pack brings out a barbecue feast to the construction site and plenty of warriors to keep the area secure.

I dig out a copy of the basic cultivation manual, an item the Blue Priestesses of The Knowledge God pack into every vehicle now, to help spread the technique as their God requests.

"Take this, and teach it to as many in your pack as possible. If they can’t keep strong enough protectors for the region, you really will die, like Alpha Conan told you."

"Thank you High Priestess. We will do our very best to keep the land safe, you can count on us."

This garrison is slightly better manned. The Drake rider that arrived is a grizzled old Dragon kin and his mount is enormous, bringing no fewer than 8 men with him along with the fuel tank every outpost is getting.

The fuel tanks are amazingly popular with the locals, and the Empire views them like keeping a watering trough for the animals, just another common courtesy.

This outpost get an extra advantage, one of the stationed troops is an accomplished Earth mage and runs a blacksmith shop out of wherever he is stationed. So, for the next 6 months minimum, the Silver Woods Pack with have the magical equivalent of a parts store right here by the highway.

"Will that beast even fit in the alcove on the roof, Commander?" I ask after checking his rank.

"He can sleep in the yard, Highness. He’s too old and lazy to attack anything he can’t eat."

I reach up to clap him on the shoulder with a laugh. "Enjoy your stay Commander. Ask the local pack if you need anything, they’ll surely trade with you."