“So the first site sucked that bad,” I asked.

  “Yessir,” Captain Richards said.

  We stood on a hill a couple miles west of Darren’s Port. It rose up from the lake’s edge, a cliff on that side, sloping down steeply to the ground and a beach. Maria was on one side of me, Captain Jeremiah of the Gray Wolf Militia next to Captain Richards.

  “It was out in the open, flat ground, no cover and nothing defensive about it.”

  “I apologize for that, Lord Howell,” Jeremiah said. “I had argued against that spot but the Lord Mayor ignored it, thinking it was just fine.”

  The spot in question had been outside the gates, near the city, but just to the north so we would have to use the city’s docks and move anything we wanted through the city. Not that I thought Calvin would try to tax or control the movement, but it was a way to keep an eye on everything. Probably under orders from good ol’ Tommy Payton, who had only a day left to get here.

  “After showing that site to me, Captain Jeremiah brought me here,” Captain Richards said.

  It was an excellent spot.

  The top of the hill was wide enough for us to build the encampment. Being at the top of the hill with the cliff, we only had to defend three sides. Not that anyone thought it would come to that but better to be prepared. With the beach, we could and would build our own docks. There wouldn’t be a need for us to use or go into Darren’s Port.

  “I assume you checked out other spots?”

  “Of course sir,” Captain Richards said. “One of them would be adequate, but this is the best available.”

  “Okay, works for me.”

  I looked toward Darren’s Port. I could make out the walls and the new tent city outside those walls.

  “Are our people okay with tenting it so soon?” I asked Maria.

  “Once I explained why,” she answered.

  I nodded.

  “Excellent.”

  “We’ll have the engineers start building right away,” Maria said, looking to the west. “And there’s even a forest for us to harvest the logs we’ll need.”

  “And how soon before we’re ready to head north?” I asked.

  “You and the Adventurers can leave at any time,” Maria said. “It’ll be at least a week before I can bring anything in numbers up there. I would recommend waiting until the scouts come back,” she added.

  “I can do that,” I replied. “I need to talk to Tommy anyways.” I turned to Captain Jeremiah, who wasn’t as uncomfortable with me using the nickname for his Clan leader as I had expected. I was beginning to think that Lord Payton wasn’t well liked. “Do you know what kind of Gray Wolf forces are up there?”

  “I’m not up to date,” he replied. “That’s been handled out of the Capital. I know the Wolf’s Claws were up there, trying to deal with the Dungeons.”

  “Wolf’s Claws?”

  “Yessir. That’s the top Adventuring team in the territory. There’s a couple other teams up there as well.”

  “And the Gray Wolf Militia?” Maria asked.

  “There would be those stationed in the towns up there. Maybe five hundred or so. I think two companies were sent up. That would be another five hundred.”

  “How well trained are they?” Maria asked.

  Captain Jeremiah started to look nervous. I felt bad for the guy. He didn’t want to speak negatively of his fellow soldiers.

  “I’d appreciate honesty,” I said.

  He nodded.

  “Yessir. Most would be Level Fifty to Sixty. Mix of heavy plate and medium armor. Swords and spears. Mostly warrior related Essences.”

  I sighed.

  Maria was shaking her head.

  “What is your Level,” she asked.

  Normally that could be considered rude, but in this circumstance, we didn’t care.

  “Level Eighty ma’am,” he said, standing a little straighter. “I would have gone through the Challenge Tutorial, but at that time I already had a group I was in charge of protecting and couldn’t take the risk.”

  I knew I liked the guy. I had a good feeling about him at the start.

  “Commendable Captain,” I said. “Are you the highest ranking soldier in Darren’s Port?”

  “No sir,” he said. “That would be Commander Grant.”

  “And why have we not met him yet?”

  “You did sir, at the reception last night.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  I glanced at Maria, who shrugged.

  “Commander Grant is a tall and skinny man, black hair.”

  “I think I met someone fitting that description, but I don’t remember anyone wearing armor or carrying a weapon, or anything of rank identification,” I said.

  “He wouldn’t have been,” Captain Jeremiah said, sighing. “Commander Grant was a political appointment.”

  I turned to Captain Richards.

  “Go and find this Commander and bring him here immediately. If he tries to resist, get a couple of the soldiers and…,” I trailed off, not needing to finish.

  Captain Richards flashed a smile.

  “Yessir,” he said, saluted and jogged down the hill.

  I turned back to Captain Jeremiah.

  “Congratulations Commander,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder.

  “Sir?”

  “You’re getting a promotion.”

  ***

  I really wanted to get out and punch things but it made sense to get the scout’s reports first. And I had to wait for the Gray Wolf Clanchief to arrive. Which he finally did, right at the edge of the deadline.

  Construction was underway on the walls and the dock. Those were the priorities. Soldiers could tent it for a while. But needed protection and a place to unload supplies when the next ships arrived in about a week. I was in the command tent.

  Really just a larger tent with a table, some chairs, maps and chests. Maria was off at a nearby island with a squad, clearing it of any random monsters and prepping it for the future portal that would be built there. We’d thought about building it on the mainland, but the island was better defense-wise. It would give us the lake as a barrier between us and the enemy, slowing them down.

  We definitely did not want to give them direct access to Solace territory via portal. The other end was being built away from the town. We’d move it later if we kept them as permanent ones.

  I was sitting in one of the chairs, studying the map we had and the locations we’d been able to determine the incursion was by talking with the refugees and had marked the three Dungeons.

  “Lord Howell,” a guard said, poking his head through the open tent flap. “Lord Payton is here.”

  “Send him in,” I said, standing up.

  Three men entered. The first was heavily armored, head to toe, wearing a helm that covered most of his face. Heavy plate armor, with a large sword across his back. He looked around the tent. The second wore a lighter set of armor, still plate, but not as thick. He had a sword at his waist and no helm. The third was slightly back from those two and I knew that one was Tommy.

  “You two,” I said, pointing at the armored soldiers. “Out.”

  They just looked at me and then back at Tommy.

  “Nope,” I said. “You listen to me and get your asses out of here. In fact, get off this hill and go back to town. If I hear that either of you were up here, I’m going to grab you and drop you off right in the middle of the Incursion.”

  The two looked at me, completely unsure what to do.

  “What Clan do you belong to?” I asked.

  “Gray…,” one started but stopped, seeing my glare.

  “The Solace Fellowship,” the second, the one in full plate said.

  “And who is in charge?”

  “You are,” the knight said.

  I didn’t say anything else. He looked at the other, nodded to the opening and walked out. They gave Tommy a shrug. Tommy, for his part, looked ready to explode. He stalked in, face red with anger. He was a big man, kind of what I’d expect for someone that led a Clan called Gray Wolf.

  He wore a dark gray leather armor, I didn’t recognize the specific type of leather used. It wasn’t shadow, but maybe something related to the wolves he took the clan name from. No weapons, as he smartly kept them in his inventory. Thick curly black hair and beard, along with his size, gave him a menacing appearance. He wore a thick fur lined cloak, which seemed to be a fashion statement in this neck of the woods.

  “Lord Howell,” he said. “I am here as you summoned. I have to admit that I was not expecting such a rude invitation.”

  I laughed.

  I couldn’t help it.

  He got even angrier. The Solace guards outside peeked in, wondering what was so funny. Still laughing I looked past Tommy at them.

  “Did those two armored guys leave the hill?”

  “Yes, Lord Howell.”

  “Good,” I said, managing to stop laughing. I turned to Tommy. “Sorry, but you have to admit, coming in here like that was pretty funny.”

  “I’m not sure what was so funny about it,” Tommy said.

  I probably should have given him a bit more respect and stop thinking of him as Tommy, but until he showed that he had earned it, he’d be Tommy. I knew he was a capable fighter, or had been. He would have had to be to get to the leadership role of a Clan. He wasn’t an Adventurer and not yet at Level 100, but he’d still be formidable. Maybe not to me, but to others.

  “I was hoping for us to meet as Clanchief to Clanchief,” he said and was about to say more, but stopped as he saw my glare.

  “You’ve made a lot of mistakes so far,” I said. “And that was just another one added to the increasing list.”

  “What..,” he started to say.

  I pointed to a chair.

  “Sit.”

  It took him a couple seconds, but he did end up sitting, looking a little shell shocked.