B4 Chapter 18: Speedrunning the Scenic Tour
B4 Chapter 18: Speedrunning the Scenic Tour
Despite his initial protests, Marcus soon found himself incredibly grateful to have Abel along. Between his level and [Mythchaser], he could have theoretically traveled faster on his own two legs. But that would have left him exhausted, sore, and far sweatier than simply riding upon the back of a horse as quick as this. And though he still suspected he could outspeed the stallion over short distances, he certainly couldn’t maintain that pace for an entire day.
Their travels were spurred even further by Marcus and Abel’s own contributions. Since he wasn’t running, Marcus could devote his entire lung capacity to belting out [Inspirational Songs] to keep them moving and in good shape. Moreover, Abel’s entire class was built around supporting his steed. From what he’d explained to Marcus, the boy could share stamina and even some of his own skills with the horse. It sounded almost like a scaled-down version of the Legionnaire class, though more unidirectional and limited.
They made good time. Their initial journey saw them tagging along with Legionnaire patrols whenever they crossed paths for safety. Not that they were any particular danger. The soldiers had been doing a great job of securing the interior of the empire since taking over. Bandits who had seen their friends made examples of wisely decided to pursue other vocations or flee entirely, for the most part. Something that the people seemed quite appreciative of. Though the same could not be said of every law the empire applied so rigidly.
Still, people were satisfied and safe. What’s more, the soldiers’ company made for a more interesting journey and gave Marcus a chance to practice other songs every once in a while.
They continued on, passing by countless merchant caravans and travelling down roads of smooth stone. More than once Marcus found himself waving a merchant down to browse some of their wares. Between his earnings from playing for the men and the payment he’d received from Tiberius, he had more than enough to snatch up a pair of fine dresses for his twin princesses and a few enchanted toys that might serve as excellent diversions to escape from the kids. He considered a pair of fine necklaces as well, but decided against it. He was going to visit the dwarves, after all. If he couldn’t find finer work there, then he’d eat his boot.
Once they entered the mountains, the patrols became more sparse and infrequent until Abel, Marcus, and Gerald the horse were once more on their own. They continued on, Marcus modulating his performance to ensure it didn’t echo through the rocky ridges. Their horse didn’t so much as slow, navigating the sheer terrain with more alacrity than any goat Marcus had ever seen or heard of. Even when the mountains became nearly vertical, the horse still managed to find tiny protrusions and ridges barely thicker than a finger to somehow cling onto.
As they neared the site where the Legion had apparently come under assault, Marcus further concealed their presence. It wasn’t hard, considering how much he’d been focusing on doing just that over the past year. Escaping the notice of four unreasonably coordinated infants demanded some rather inventive uses of his skills. And although he suspected they would be able to outrun any threats they might find, it was best to avoid conflict altogether in his opinion.
He spread an [Illusory Domain] around their immediate area, muffling their steps and coloring them to meld with the slate cliffs around. He could turn them invisible entirely, but such an illusion was far more taxing and best reserved for more desperate circumstances. At the same time, he threw his [Critical Reception] wide to feel for the telltale emotions of living beings in the vicinity. He felt only the raw, primal reactions of insects and burrowing beasts. After a few more minutes of travel, however, something new touched his senses. The mix of tension and boredom so characteristic of deployed soldiers.
Marcus relaxed slightly. It was an all-too familiar sensation, and it didn’t take long for the source to come into view. A cohort of Legionnaires, their armored forms clustered in a small landing over a final ridge. A not-quite-natural series of rocky walls encircled a makeshift camp with campfires and tents inside.
He dropped their disguises as they approached, waving in greeting to the sentries on duty. Between his purple cloak and the reassurance he sent their way, the men allowed him to approach without issue.
“Well, if it isn’t Marcus!” One of the men grinned.
“That can’t be him.” The other one scoffed and looked him up and down. “The Marcus I know had two perfectly functional legs.”
“The Marcus you know also had enough brains to accept a ride when it was offered.” He hopped down from the horse and swept into a bow. “It’s wonderful to see you two, as well. Might we come inside?”
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“...Nah, I’m not convinced,” the second Legionnaire said. “Who knows? You could be an imposter.”
Marcus rolled his eyes dramatically. “Remus, friend. If you wish for me to serenade you with my dulcet tones, you need only ask. Perhaps I can sing you another ballad for seducing that fine maid back in the capital? Unless you still haven’t worked up the courage to sing her the first one?”
The man’s cheeks reddened even as the first Legionnaire elbowed his friend in the stomach. “Proof enough for you? Good. We’ve got more important things to deal with.”
The guards waved the trio in, letting them pass through the rocky arch of a gate. Marcus promised Remus that he’d sing the man a lullaby later, which got him a swift punch in the shoulder that he didn’t react to. It would probably bruise later—the men had gotten stronger yet again.
He relaxed slightly as they passed the threshold. Turning to Abel, he smiled. “Well. It appears that we’ve made it. I’m going to find the centurion in charge and find out what the situation is. Perhaps you can see to your horse and—ow!”
The horse nipped him in the hand and glared. Abel stepped forward quickly. “Sorry, Lord Marcus. It’s just that he, uh, prefers to be addressed more formally.”
Marcus looked at the boy with incredulity. “What would he prefer I call him? Gerald, chosen of Neptune, protector of House Aridus, noblest of the winds?”
The horse snorted and raised its head with pride as Abel shifted. “He, uh, thinks that would be a good start. But he’ll accept Sir Gerald too.”
Marcus stared at the pair for a moment and sighed. “Fine. Please see to Sir Gerald in the meantime.”
He turned and headed deeper in the camp. The horse and Marcus had never particularly gotten along, and he rather suspected that the ride here had only been so smooth because of Abel’s pacifying presence. Still, there was no harm in keeping the beast happy. Not when they also had a return journey to consider. Besides, it was a good exercise of his [Diplomacy]. A skill he’d likely be using quite a bit soon.
It didn’t take long to find the centurion in question, though Marcus did have to wait a few minutes to see him. In the meantime, he ran through some of the speeches he’d been refining in his head. Well, “refining” from historical examples, at least.
As it turned out, history was full of excellent orators whose words were all but forgotten to most in the modern era, especially when one took the time to update them. Such speeches had served him well in negotiating with nobles and bringing the occasional sun-worshipping cult under the sway of his patron, far better than even his most impressive improvisations.
It was an excellent way to expand his domain, and one that catered to a different kind of audience. It also had earned him some points with Apollo, especially when such efforts led to converts. And the extra coin from people seeking his inspirational words wasn’t bad, either.
Soon enough, Marcus was ushered into the command tent and came face to face with a rather tired-looking centurion. The man sat heavily in a camp stool and gestured for Marcus to do the same. “You’re here. Good. Hopefully that means we can move forward with this nonsense.”
He took the centurion’s brusque address in stride and smiled. “Thank you for seeing me, centurion. I assume there have been developments, then?”
The man let out a short laugh. “You could say that. We found the attackers. Definitely dwarves. Found why they attacked, too. Seems like we rolled up onto their doorstep without even realizing it. Literally, their doorstep. Big fuckoff door right there in the mountain. I’ve got half a mind to break it down, but apparently that’s not ok with command.”
“I would imagine not,” Marcus said drily. His smile remained in place. “Still. I appreciate your efforts to investigate. Those will make my own much easier.”
“Yeah, sure. If you can get the damn dirty diggers to come out. Every time we send someone to the door, they hurl rocks, insults, or both. If you think you can do better, be my guest. I've just about had it. I asked for some siege engines, but of course…”
The rather frazzled centurion flapped an arm and shook his head. Marcus frowned. The man’s frustration was pushing him rather considerably toward armed conflict. Likely the only reason he hadn’t burst in and steamrolled the dwarves was because he didn’t think he could. He may not be confident in his ability to win with these few men.
It made him more glad that he’d rushed here quickly. Destroying the orcs was one thing, but the dwarves were a clearly sentient race. What’s more, their aggression was completely understandable if the Romans had indeed pushed toward their homeland as the man said. Something that Tiberius seemed to understand, given how he’d sent Marcus here in the first place.
“Those will be unnecessary.” He said with absolute confidence. “I will speak with them. Alone, if that’s alright. I do believe I have a plan in mind…”
And so, Marcus began to lay out his plan. The man looked a little skeptical, but didn’t outright deny the bard. It spoke to how much trust the Romans had begun to put in his own abilities. And though he was prone to exaggerate, Marcus felt rather confident this wouldn’t be one of those times. He had prepared for this, after all. And making friends was one of his specialties.