The Forgotten Faithful: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 2) by Cajiao, Jez (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📕

"We’re going in at night, which means you can drop me and my team off outside and bugger off. Decin, once you’ve dropped me off, head straight to the village of Dannick.”

“Take Isabella with you and call in. Talk to the people and get them recruited, if they’re up for it; strip the village, and head back to the Tower. If they’re not, take whoever is, and whatever they’ll let you take, but get back here as fast as you can.”

“My ship only be a small scout, Lord, an’…”

“Make extra trips; just do what you need to,” I cut him off. “Oren, I need someone your crew’s families will trust, someone that knows where they’ll be and can recruit them…not you!” I said, holding a forestalling hand up as he tried to volunteer. “You’re going to be getting your ship in order. Seneschal, how much would assigning the class three Servitor to the ship rebuild speed things up?”

“Considerably; work that would take weeks would take days instead, especially if we assigned a class one general Golem to assist, as well…”

“Do it. I’m not sure how soon we’ll need it, but if we need it, we’ll really need it. Take the time to get the ship outfitted right. Fix what you can and strengthen it. Wisps, can I communicate with you from there?” I asked, and they exchanged a long look.

“Yes, but it’ll take a lot of mana…” Oracle hedged. “…and I’ll need to be up high; like, really high.”

“Okay, then when we need the ships, we’ll let you know."

"For now, plan on not being needed before a week’s time, so you’ve at least that long to make repairs and upgrades. How long does the smuggler’s route take to cross?”

“A full day and a night, at a minimum,” Barrett offered. “I don’t know exactly where it was, but I had a ‘friend’ that used it a few times. She said it must have been an old escape tunnel from the city, and it was somewhere in the forest here…” He tapped the map, just north of the city where the trees were heaviest.

“Sounds like fun, Barrett. The crew’s families, will they trust you?” I asked, and Oren spoke up before Barrett could.

“Aye, laddie; he’d be better loved than me, if no fer the bonuses I paid out. They know ‘im.”

“Good; then you’re coming with me, Barrett. Flux, I’ve not got time to fuck about right now; can Bane continue to teach me like you have been?”

“He can; he’s less experienced, but he’s dedicated and skilled,” Flux acknowledged calmly.

“Good, then he’s coming with me, and you’re staying here.” When Flux tried to object, I cut him off, hardly looking away from the map. “Leave it, Flux. If I could, I’d take you all, but as a group, you’ll draw too much attention, and I need someone I can trust to watch over the military side of the Tower if I’m taking Barrett.”

“You’re to continue to train people, and help them to get fit, strong, and deadly. As of now, you’re folded into the command structure of the Tower, as commander of the hunters and stealthy fuckers. We’ll come up with a title later. In Barrett’s absence, you run all security for the Tower; understand?”

I fixed him with a glare, and after a second, he bowed his head and stepped back respectfully.

“Yes, Lord Jax,” Flux said, and I turned to Ame.

“Ame, you’ll work with Cai and make sure people are fit and healthy; you’ll also be in charge of any medical issues. Train up those you'll need and go out with the squads. Level your healing as fast as you can. When this meeting is over, I need you to get Renna and bring her here. Tell her to bring along whatever she needs. I’ll explain when you’re both here.”

“Barrett, tell Lydia what she needs to know and get the squad together. They’re coming to the city with me, so have them prepare as much as they can. Oracle, I want a skill book for each of them, something geared towards their abilities, and get two Spellbooks for Arrin; it’s time he got a bit more useful.”

“Decin, how long will it take to get to Himnel on your ship?” I asked, and he rubbed his chin in thought, doing a little calculation with Hanau.

“Well, we could make it in a day, but we’d be pushin’ th’ engines hard; dangerously so…”

“Damn, I knew your ship was faster, but…” I said, shaking my head.

“It be the rear engine,” he explained. “Most of the ships, they use their engines on th’ sides fer lift and thrust, but th’ Freedom were a test. She’s got a single larger, more powerful engine at the back tha’ do just be fer thrust, no direction at all; makes it more dangerous; if we lose the lift from the others, we could smash into the ground, hard, but we be much faster!”

“Damn, right you are…” I muttered, thinking. “Okay; plan is for a day and a half. We get as far as we can before nightfall, then slow down, or stop, or whatever you’d normally do. I want us to arrive in the middle of tomorrow night at Himnel. Is that a problem?”

“Nay, laddie, we can do tha’.”

“Good!” I looked around at the room full of people all waiting on me, and I straightened up when none of them had anything to say.

“That’s it, then. Dismissed!” They clapped fists to chest in salute and filed out quickly, as I turned to Seneschal and Heph. “Keep things together, guys. Make sure my people are safe and the Tower is still standing. I’ll get anything I can to help us.”

“Build the Golems as we discussed, and I’m sorry I can’t give either of you the class three now; once it’s finished with the ship, it goes to work on this floor, to repair it and make it safe. Make use of the War Golems when they arrive; I’m only sorry I