Open Chronicles The March of Progress

[Christian Albrecht]

Somewhere In The Steppe - Camp A

"Miss Tamiko! Miss Tamiko!" Christian bellowed at the top of his lungs as he rushed through the encampment.

Though they had been underway for nearly three months now, Camp A was still a magnificent sight. A huge and sprawling moving city set around half a dozen caravans and hundreds of tents. All set up in a matter of days, all slowly rolled forward as the Canal continued to be built. Soon they would be moving again, and within the span of just a day this small city would be moving with them.

A marvelous thing, and something he'd not accounted for when actually doing the calculations for this project. A happy, and strangely organic economic surprise. The workers seemed more content, output was the same, and despite his initial fears this small moving city was proving to be rather fruitful. Miss Tamiko had likened them to camp Followers in an army, but Christian hadn't known...what that meant.

Though the edification in warfare that had come soon afterward had been somewhat fascinating. "Ah there you are."

Christian declared as he caught up to the once general.

"What's this I hear about Orcs?" The Architect sounded dubious. "It won't hamper our progress, will it? This...what was it? Warband? I think they called it."

Ludicrous name. Who wanted a band in war?

 

[Azula]

"Thank you for your swiftness," Azula took the scroll and broke the seal with her nail. The messenger who had just returned from the forward scouts saluted and then the centaur wandered off to find food and water before his journey back. The disgraced General was reading the elegant but short hand when the voice that sent men hurrying in this camp cut through the every day noise of their roving city. Sure enough, out the corner of her eyes, she saw those nearby making excuses to be anywhere but here lest Christian catch them up in one of his hairbrained schemes. There was almost nobody in the camp who was safe from him.

Certainly not his over qualified babysitter.

She finished reading as he came to a stop at her shoulder and with a frown, rolled up the parchment and tucked it into her sash.

"It depends if they move off before the next cave in. If they don't, we'll have to make them move on," and with orcs either was possible. They might even stay to fight just because they were bored.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Ah." Christian said as though he perfectly understood. A sentiment that was immediately countermanded by the words which next came out of his mouth.

"Easily solved!" The Architect said quite happily. "I will go and speak with them!"

What other possible solution could there be? These Orcs were just as reasonable as any other being, he supposed. Having a short conversation with them that they would need to simply...move along, would be perfectly reasonable and simple.

Miss Tamiko couldn't possibly object. "Quickly now!"

He shouted to no one in particular, still expecting that like in Adro servants would be everywhere.

"I need my mount prepared!" He called out, beginning to look around for the man or woman who was definitely doing as they were told. "And some of my things...You know, I best do it myself."

The Architect said, heading off towards his tent before Azula ever got the chance to intervene.

 

[Azula]

The Architect moved surprisingly fast; Azula almost had to jog to catch up. The man who Christian had shouted at for his mount glanced to her quizzically and she made a cutting moment across her throat. He nodded in understanding and ambled off in the opposite direction to the stables.

"I don't think that would be wise, Mast Albrecht. You have little knowledge in the art of negotiating, especially with war bands," she desperately thought about how to appease his ego and break through his odd way of thinking. "It would be like me trying to plan this canal, these warbands are things I know. This is where my experience lies. Besides, they're far beneath you. They don't think like the logical, smart, men and women you're used to. They likely wouldn't understand any of your good arguments."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Hrm." Ordinarily, when told he couldn't do something Christian was inclined to disbelieve the offending party entirely.

He was, after all, supremely capable. There was not a single thing the Architect had put his mind to that he hadn't been able to do. Whether it was designing this canal, baking the perfect chocolate cake, or seducing the fourth born Princess of Oban.

There was nothing Christian Albrecht couldn't do.

Fortunately though, Azula had learned over the last few months the trick to getting the Architect to understand. The problem, you see, was not with Christian. No, obviously, the trouble may with the other party. He was brilliant, intelligent, cunning.

Too much so in fact. The barbarous orcs simply were too thick headed to perceive someone as eloquent as him. It was so obvious!

"Excellent point Miss Tamiko." Christian said, stalling for a moment. Almost appearing as though for once he might do the smart thing. "Best you do the talking, I'll supervise."

At least smart adjacent.

 

[Azula]

Azula felt like all she had been doing these last few months was sighing. It was almost as natural as breathing now. In fact, when she went a long period of time without sighing she started to get the urge to seek Christian out for clearly he was being a little too quiet. Something which had only spelt disaster so far.

"Very good, Master Albrecht," the ex-general inclined her head with a polite smile. She supposed it was as good as she was going to get. It was very rare she actually dissuaded Christian from his course of action or from being involved in every minor thing. So far the only thing he had wisely decided he didn't need to be involved in was with the cooking after the Head Cook had walloped him with her spoon. Azula was fairly certain the orcess would have beaten him to death with it if she had not stepped in.

"Ready your things, I must make sure camp is secure before we leave."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Of course! Of course!" Christian said, already on his way.

The last few months had proven that if nothing else the Architect was at least good when it came to follow-up. Not a single thing that he had said he would do had gone undone. It was an odd little knack, even when it seemed impossible the man somehow seemed to bumble into a solution.

Probably due this vast intellect.

Before long, Christian had indeed gathered his things and once more found himself standing next to the odd lizard-like mount that was provided for him. He smiled wide as he saw Azula, carrying a backpack over one shoulder and what appeared to be a very crossbow over the other.

"There you are Miss Tamiko!" He said, shifting to ease the very heavy weight on his shoulders. "This is no time to dawdle! There's negotiations to undertake."

 

[Azula]

Azula stopped in her tracks upon seeing the crossbow slung awkwardly across his back and raised a finger to point at it.

"Absolutely not," there was no room for argument in her tone, in fact it was probably the most authoritative Christian had ever heard her. Before he could protest she quickly marched forward and then began to manhandle it off of him. "The centaurs tell me the last time you went to shooting practise you nearly put an arrow through one of the scouts because you got distracted," half of them refused to give him any more lessons. Azula regretted even suggesting the idea of him learning to defend himself now.

"Besides, you do not take a weapon to a negotiation!"

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"They're called quills, Miss Tamiko." Christian corrected. "Verbiage is very important."

Something he had learned early on in his education. One had to have a proper command of language, otherwise half ones efforts in explaining things could go to waste. Knowing the right word at the right time was important. Almost as important as knowing the thing you were trying to communicate!

The least he could do is pass on that knowledge. "And I think you're quite exaggerating! Every bolt was placed exactly where planned. Save for those I miscalculated on."

But that had only been one or two.

"Besides!" He argued. "I've read that Orcs respect strength. What better show of strength than this?"

Christian asked, gesturing to the crossbow.

 

[Azula]

Azula took a hold of the crossbow and - after checking to make sure it wasn't already loaded - attempted to wrest it off him entirely.

"No," was her only response and her jaw set stubbornly. The last thing she needed was to worry about being shot by someone from her own camp. "You are not a soldier, Christian. These orcs will not respect you in the slightest and if you turn up wearing that they'll laugh in our face," she scowled and set about trying to get it off over his head.

"If you want to come you'll leave it behind or I shall be leaving you behind."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

A strange sort of whiny noise left Christian's lips. "But but!"

He objected.

"Miss Tamiko!" This went against everything he had read in the books. How were the Orcs supposed to respect him if they didn't see his weapon. It didn't make any sense! Did Azula expect to do this negotiation on her own warrants!

Hah!

She might have been a respectable general with years of experience, but she was no Christian Albrecht! Azula probably hadn't even read Hagrishes Thirty Seven Thesis's on Orc Tribes. How could she possibly negotiate without that?! "If not this, then I must at least have a sword!"

He argued. "Perhaps one of those Rippers, the Gnoll Mr Bashy Keeps referring to?"

 

[Azula]

Azula finally managed to get the crossbow off of him in a humiliating dance that had attracted more than a few onlookers. She passed it off to one of the centaurs who was going to accompany them and he slung it over his broad back.

"I will give you a knife," she countered and from her sash she drew one that was the length her forearm. For a trained soldier it was a secondary weapon but for someone like Christian it was all she trusted him to handle and even that was pushing it; he could very well trip when distracted and impale himself with it. She flipped it over her hand and offered it to him hilt first.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian looked as though he were about to object once more, perhaps insisting on getting that Ripper Mr. Bashy kept speaking about, but the Architect eventually relented. Letting out a sigh heavy enough to think the young man was carrying the whole world, Christian leaned forward and snapped up the dagger.

"Fine!" He said, immediately proving himself unworthy of the little blade as he used it to point at Azula. "But if these orcs don't respect our delegation."

The knife flipped over to point at him. "It's because these Orcs don't respect the lack of strength were displaying!"

From everything he'd read in his books, he was willing to bet this entire negotiation would be a disaster. Miss Tamiko knew what she was doing, there was no doubt about that. Otherwise she never would have been hired, but perhaps her knowledge had a gap when it came to the orcs.

At least it certainly appeared that way!

"Well, let's be off! Better to drive headlong into the danger than to stay out of it, eh Miss Tamiko?" Christian said, countermanding the advice of every famed Adventurer, soldier, general, or person with common sense.

 

[Azula]

Azula sighed as Christian turned and clambered onto the giant lizard. The centauress who had witnessed the whole thing gave her a sympathetic look and trotted over to pat her on the shoulder.

"Perhaps this talk will make him realise the dangers are for more real when not written on a bit of parchment, eh?" Azula grimaced.

"I highly doubt it. I think I might actually die protecting this fool," it had become increasingly clear the last few months the man possessed no worldly sense or a sense of self preservation. He had been so lost in a book a few weeks ago that he'd wandered across a training ground and would have been skewered if Azula hadn't made it to him in time to deflect the curve of the orcs axe. With a heavy sense of doom, the General climbed into the drivers seat and clicked the lizard on.

The negotiating party leapt out of the travelling grounds and onto the road throwing up dust in their wake. Centaurs moved alongside the giant lizards at a steady canter or raced ahead at the gallop to scout the ways. It was only a few hours to the meeting point which was enough to concern Azula and when they arrived they found themselves to be the first - something Azula always hated.

Jumping down form the beasts back she patted it and looked around.

"I want scouts searching the trees, Orcs aren't known for stealth but they do know the art of ambushing."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian, entirely lacking awareness of ambushes, spoke loudly to one of the centaurs.

"So you see, the application of the glue isn't actually all that important." Most of the conversation over the last hour had been about models.

Not those silly men and women who went around dressing up in expensive clothes, but miniatures painstakingly built and put together. Christian, as an Architect, was a grand proponent. Using them often in his designs to enthuse and explain to his various clients what he was building.

"It should be spread on fully after." He explained. "Otherwise the adhesion will be flawed, and one can easily take apart the pieces."

The Architect tapped his chin. "Though at times, that's a rather handy feature."

Shaking his head Christian continued.

"For the Canal, I used mostly bay moss-" As he continued, loudly, the Architect never once noticed the approaching orcs. Nor those who had camouflaged themselves in the surrounding dirt and were now hiding all around them.

 

[Azula]

The centaur flashed several of her comrades pleading looks but nobody dared draw too near in case they too ended up stuck listening to the architect. Azula herself used the distraction to do her own perimeter sweeps. High above it was Keiko from the tree tops who gave the call to signal the orcs approach. They came in a rag-tag column of twos and threes carrying cudgels and nasty looking knives. Two of them were bowmen. They entered the small clearing and fanned out until one orc with white skin the colour of milk stepped forward.

Azula strode back to the clearing to greet him.

"Titus, it's been a while," she raised an eyebrow and the orc grinned showing several pointed teeth - and just as many missing.

"It be King Titus now, sight-stealer," he growled.

"King of what?" her arms folded over her chest. "The Dynast - may she live forever - rules these lands."

The ocrs growled.

"Not in mountains! There, I be King."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"You don't want to use real water on the models, they'll ge-" Christian suddenly found himself cut off from his little chat as something finally caught his eyes.

Something he'd never seen before. Something he'd only ever heard of before!

"Is that a white orc?!" Christian asked in excitement. Nearly leaping off his mount as he began to run to catch up with Azula. "What a fascinating pigmentation!"

The architect said as he began to practically charge the bulking brute. Already drawing a magnifying glass from his satchel.

Forgetting the show of dominance he was supposed to be putting on.

 

[Azula]

Azula snagged the back of Christian's collar hurling him backwards before the orc's downward strike with his cudgel could flatten the architect into the ground. Those behind the king snarled and hefted up their assortment of weapons in a menacing manner that the ex General calmly ignored. Instead, she kept her eyes on the 'King'.

"These aren't the mountains, Titus. These lands belong to the Dynast - may she live forever - and an attack on her people is an attack on her. Continue to cause us problems and she will rout you out of your little caves."

The King finally looked away from Christian who he had been snarling at to size up to Azula again.

"My people stronger, we will crush your Dynast and feast on Pegasi bones," a cheer went up amongst the orcs.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian felt himself yanked back, his arms flailing for a brief moment.

Right! He thought to himself. We're here to negotiate, not to study pigmentation within orcs.

Surely that was all Miss Tamiko had been trying to signal to him when she'd tugged on his collar. There was nothing else that he'd done wrong. It was simply about prioritizing what they actually needed to do in that moment.

Duh!

The generally truly had proven herself to be indispensable. "Yes yes, that's all well and good."

Christian said loudly.

"There don't need to be problems at all!" There was a very obvious solution to all this, and it was logical too. "You orcs are very strong, we need lots of strong!"

The Architect said, condescendingly. "Orcs come help us! Help build! Then great reward and project over sooner!"

Christian said, not sure why he finished still speaking in that strange inflection.

 

[Azula]

The orcs stared at Christian. The Centaurs stared at Christian.  Azula stared at Christian. An odd stillness had filled the clearing as though everyone were waiting for something to happen. Eventually, the orc king turned to stare at Azula who was still looking at Christian contemplating how she could make his murder look like an accident.

"This man speak for you?"

"No!" Azulas head whipped back to the orc and she seemed to remember then that Christian was her ticket out of here. She not so subtly took a step between the marshalled guards and her stupid ward.

"Turn around and take your tribe with you back to the mountains."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

"Obviously I don't speak for anyone." Christian said with a chuckle. "Miss Tamiko can speak just fine for herself!"

Haha, Orcs. So silly. "But think of it!"

The Architect said, snapping his finger as he began to slowly pace back and forth. Entirely ignoring the marshalled Guards or any of the orcs being a tad more ornery. Instead focusing on events that were clearly only happening within his own mine.

"Your raw power and strength put to use like never before!" He snapped back and pointed at the orcs. "Driven by a strong hand! Purpose!"

Christian said excitedly. "You could be made to work like never before!"

He declared, entirely forgetting, or simply not realizing the connotations of; slavery.

 

[Azula]

Orcs respected a show of force. In their mind it was a sign of honour to be threatened and bargained with as it meant they were seen as a threat. If Azula had been alone they might have returned to the mountains with a feeling their reputation was in tact and the canal could have continued on without much more hinderance. However, the orcs did not appreciating being reminded of the times they were enslaved to the centaurs.

Azula winced and cringed further and further as Christian's mouth ran them out of any chance of this ending peacefully. The Orcs attentions shifted from Christian to the few centaur warriors who had accompanied them and the centaurs hands began to shift to weapons. Perhaps if she could just--

One of the orcs pulled his lips back from his teeth and took a step towards the centauress who Christian had been lecturing only moments before. The centaur behind her loosed the arrow on instinct. It went through the creatures eye and he was dead before he hit the ground. A stunned silence filled the glade and then the roars of battle.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian blinked as one of the orcs tumbled over with a heavy thud. ”Oh.”

His head turned towards the Centaurs.

”Was that necessary? Negotiations were underwa-” Before he could finish speaking, the Architect found his words lost in the roar of battle. The Orcs shouted, one of them immediately charging forward. His blade swept up, it’s edge rusty and cut into so it looked more like a saw than a sword.

Christian’s eyebrows raised as the orc charged him. His face holding no true concern, but more as though he were seeing an unpleasant bit of muck about to land on his shoe. He didn’t move an inch, didn’t seem afraid, nor even truly even comprehending what was going on.

”Really!” He called, turning away from the charging orc. ”There’s no need for any of this! Everyone, please just calm down!”

The Architect raised his arms, signaling for everyone to stop fighting as he moved into the chaos.

In the confidence of his charge the young Orc had not expected Christian to suddenly move. His footing failed him as he attempted to follow after the loud-mouth Architect, the tip of his boot striking an errant rock which slipped out beneath him. With a crash the orc went tumbling down, crushed a second later by the hoof of a rushing centaur warrior.

Leaving Christian entirely untouched.

 

[Azula]

Azula made to step towards Christian as soon as the arrow lodged itself into the orcs eye, but the self proclaimed king fell upon her a second later. She barely had enough time to draw her curved blade and bring it up to meet the nasty looking axe that swung for her neck. Her teeth gritted as the impact of the hit reverberated through her bones making them ache. The King only grinned at her clear discomfort and pressed harder.

"We will take these lands back from your precious Dynast, and your river red with her peoples blood."

So much for peaceful negotiations.

Azula chose her moment then suddenly stepped backwards, disengaging their weapons and causing the orc to stumble forward. Her blade was there to meet him swinging up with deadly grace to slash him from the naval up. He managed to move in time turning what could have been a killing blow into a nasty slash across the ribs. The orc snarled in a rage as his life blood flowed down his side and came for her again.

Christian would have to look after himself for the moment.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

A fact which seemed to be working out far better than one might have expected.

From the ground Christian spotted something entirely too enticing to be left alone."Oh! Now that's interesting."

The Architect quickly crawled forward through the dust. Moving to inspect an odd armor-plate fashioned onto one of the now dead orcs. A blade swinging over his head just a second later, missing him entirely. His fingers wrapped around the plate.

He pulled once, twice, and then wrenched. Sending him falling up and then backwards.

As he fell, the blade that had just swept over his head slashed through the empty air where he had just been standing. An orc roaring in frustration as he was once again denied his kill.

"Miss Tamiko! Look at this!" Christian declared, sweeping himself to his feet and waving the armor towards where Azula was in the midst of her fight. "This is genuine Basilisk steel!"

Christian said, his excitement apparently making him forget he was in the midst of a battle. "This was made thousands of years ago!"