Matt's POV :
I haven't gotten much sleep since I came back two months ago… But wherever I go, wherever I look there's always a problem to be solved or an idea to be introduced.
Even in this society there's paperwork… or rather leather scriptures since modern paper hasn't been invented yet.
Ugh, I already want to resign.
The only times when I have peace is when I get some time alone with Astrid. And even then we spend a lot of that time training our abilities and fighting.
She doesn't seem to hold back anymore when sparring against me, maybe it has something to do with her new project.
She recently took in a few very young kids to train them to become elite fighters, I don't know the details but I do hope she doesn't roughen them up too much.
I wasn't able to attend one of those classes since I'm always busy.
I'm scared I'll become a workaholic just like the giant dwarf over there. Speaking of which, Oslo has been doing a really good job taking charge over the craftsmen within the clan. I'll have to find something to reward him with… and that's how I get myself even more work to do.
I've had some time between the council meetings and the overall leading job to repair and upgrade some of our gear.
My swords and Astrid's axes were pretty damaged, basically destroyed, so I made new ones, sadly since we don't have anything better than steel within the dome I simply made the same weapons we had before.
My consumables have also received some upgrades, before I made grenades by having a separated container with coolant and blaze that would let me either choose a fire, ice or shock blast but I've noticed that It was pretty unstable and prone to failure.
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, so I made one type of grenade for each element, which made it easier to use and more powerful.
I'm currently in the process of revamping my assassin blade to add an interchangeable tip, now I can eject the current blade in case it gets damaged and then reconnect another.
This gives me the chance to basically make a sleeve gun. I also plan to modify the blaze extender so that the miniature blaze container could be a part of the tip and not the gauntlet, make a few structural, venting and hydraulic changes and make a brand new assassin's gauntlet.
Basically I now have a better penetrating power when the blade extends, can repeat long range attacks and can repair or replace it better.
I even thought of some special blades / arrows but I'll do those later.
There was also this corrupt stinger that I found in the cauldron. I thought I could maybe use it for myself in tandem with the focus but I still haven't found a way to use it except for inside the cauldron, so until I do, I'll just keep it on hand.
There was also the blood problem for Astrid, she tried to drink animal blood but she didn't like it at all, and while she was probably just being picky with her food I still made her something so she wouldn't have to bite every Valhallan for blood, a syringe.
And this still proved to not work as she felt like throwing up every time she drank someone else's blood… which makes me the only source she would willingly drink from…
This probably has something to do with her obsession but I don't mind that much since she doesn't need to drink a lot of it.
"Hey king ! I see you're finished with that gauntlet, care to hear me out for a sec?" An overpowering voice came from behind me as I finished the last touches on my weapon.
"Sure thing old man, do you have trouble making something?"
"Well yes… Not because I ain't capable of doing it but because there ain't enough iron and blaze to finish it."
"We ran out !?"
"Not yet but we're gonna soon." He looked at me as if asking if he was going to lose his job. "So, what do we do?"
The door or gate I asked them to work on after the greenhouse was supposed to serve as a new fortification in the southern exit.
While I left Valhalla for the cauldron I went through a few wooden gates that served as a barrier between the outside, the fortress and the inside of the dome.
I don't expect them to hold out long against metal machines so I had to find something better.
This gigantic metal door was supposed to act as a last line of defense right behind the fortress. It's not like I expect the place where half of our warriors are staying to suddenly get destroyed but I prefer to be prepared.
(There's no need to fight if you're good at making doors. Gooood door. )
It's the only easy access inside of our clan so an impenetrable steel wall that can be opened easily with mechanisms seems better than a wooden door that our warriors have to manually push in order to let anyone pass.
And this kind of project obviously took a lot of iron and scrap, a resource we didn't have a lot of inside the dome.
"We start the scavenger plan." I said with a frown
"Already ? Alright I'll notify the other elders immediately." Stomping away, Oslo made his way out of the smithy into a cage elevator and turned an imposing lever.
Loud rumbling made its way through the noisy smithy signaling that the futuristic steam engine had turned on and started pulling on an iron chain lifting the elevator up.
Along with the change in the industrial sector, Matt had also revamped the political building located right above. The small stone council had been turned into a much larger stone castle with steel reinforcements and wooden additions. You could feel the power within those sturdy walls even while the entire building was still under construction.
The entire castle now served and would be used as a political center where the council along with their rulers could decide about the fate of Valhalla.
A library where both leather manuscripts, documents made out of rudimentary paper and digital records from the old ones could be stored and viewed by all members of the clan, the latter only readable by those with a focus obviously.
Military barracks where the warriors that weren't stationed at the border could live and train and finally an elevator with three stops, one in the castle, one at the ground level and the last one connected to the smithy a little further down.
And as his new home, alas this part hadn't even started being built yet.
He had spent a lot of time planning, organizing and supervising all of these projects along with other clan's people but he could say he was proud of all he achieved in a few short months.
'Time for me to go home I guess… I'll just let the council get everything ready and join them tomorrow morning.'
So Matt did, he waited for the elevator to come down before taking it to the top floor where he walked out of the construction site towards his cozy home.
As soon as he stepped foot inside he could smell a heavenly aroma drifting in the air coming from the kitchen.
But he could also smell like something was burnt so he quickly stepped forward and took out the lamb meat and the beetroot borscht from the stone oven.
He knew Astrid was trying to learn how to cook for him but it was weird for her to disappear and let the food go to waste ?
So he looked around the house and entered their bedroom where he was left with a beautiful sight.
;p
1320 words