Ravian awoke at the start of dusk, the soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds and swarms of bats heralding the arrival of night. He emerged from a makeshift tent, a magical creation formed from rapidly growing shrubs that had woven themselves around him. Stretching his arms, he glanced around at the dense forest, his golden eyes glinting with anticipation. "Time to get to work," he murmured, his voice tinged with excitement.
With a graceful flick of his wrist, he summoned a gigantic, powerful energy sword, its blade made out of red light. It shimmered and pulsed, casting an eerie glow over the surrounding trees. Ravian's eyes narrowed, his expression focused and determined. "No need to hold back here," he said to himself, his voice low and confident.
He raised the sword, his muscles tensing as he prepared to strike. The forest was silent, as if holding its breath, waiting for the moment to arrive. With a swift, fluid motion, he swung the sword, cleanly cutting down all the trees within a hundred feet in a single stroke. The sound of splintering wood filled the air, followed by the soft thud of falling timber.
Ravian allowed the blade to levitate, his eyes fixed on the destruction he had wrought. "Impressive," he remarked, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "But there's more to be done." Concentrating, he guided the sword, using it to clear out more and more trees, cutting them cleanly in half and leaving cauterized cuts.
Fifteen minutes passed, the forest transformed into a sea of charcoal stumps and a wide clearing the size of a large medieval city. Ravian surveyed his work, his golden eyes glowing with pride and a little relief that his power hadn't declined at all. It would be quite a hassle to regain all that if he ever lost it.
Ravian surveyed the clearing, his golden eyes catching sight of a few thorn bushes that had sprung up, signs that his magic was warping the land. For once, he did not sigh with frustration at this development. This place was for him, a sanctuary where he could prevent his magical presence from causing unwanted destruction. "Well that was quick," he mused, his voice soft and thoughtful.
With a graceful wave of his hand, he summoned twenty-four swarms of bat-like monsters, each with menacing mandibles and the ability to devour whatever they could see. Each swarm could cover a twenty-foot cube of space, their bodies a writhing mass of hunger and power. They descended upon the trees, cutting them cleanly into branches and logs like a swarm of piranhas. Ravian watched, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as they made short work of their task.
The swarms were efficient, organizing the trees they devoured, eating all the excess sawdust, stumps, and leaves while leaving behind neat stacks of wood. Ravian's mind drifted back to his father, the one who had taught him this application of his power. He remembered the days when he instructed him on how to use the swarms to harvest raw materials, and then allowed Ravian to quote 'enjoy the wonders of making your own furniture.'
He was honestly quite perplexed at his father on those days, but he always trusted that his father's commands contained hidden wisdom. Regardless of how perplexing or unorthodox it seemed. "Father would be glad to see this put to use," he remarked, his voice tinged with nostalgia of his eccentric father.
While the swarms sorted things out, Ravian did not remain idle. He summoned another set of twenty-four swarms, directing them to start digging near him. They began to form a spiral staircase of dirt and rock, twenty meters down, with precise measurements in mind.
The walls of the tunnel would be half a meter of concrete, more than twice the thickness of common concrete tunnel walls in the modern world. Ravian's father had always been paranoid about tunnel collapses when constructing anything, so all the tunnels he made possessed walls as thick as concrete bunkers.
Ravian found this amusing, a trait he had inherited. "Like father, like son," he chuckled, his voice filled with affection.
As the swarms continued their work, Ravian stood back, his golden eyes glowing with pride and anticipation. The clearing was taking shape, the land transformed by his magic and will. But now it is time for a second set of operations to build the grand castle.
Ravian began to mark an area, his eyes focused, using a log to drag out a dirt trail that shaped a square with 60-meter sides. The log's rough texture scraped against the earth, leaving a shallow trench that would become the heart of his castle.
Beyond the core area, he marked a second region for the innermost walls, an eight-point star 180 meters in diameter. The scent of freshly turned soil filled the air as he worked, his hands moving with an artist's grace. The rectangular area was roughly 330 meters in width but 500 meters in length.
By the time Ravian finished, Wulfric had returned, carrying the beetles and spiders. The creatures wriggled, their tiny legs scratching against the glass. "You've done well, Wulfric," Ravian said, his voice cool and appreciative. "These will serve our purpose."
Wulfric nodded, his eyes downcast. "I have fulfilled your request, Master Ravian," he said, his voice filled with reverence. Ravian took the creatures, then turned to the spare swarms, commanding them to transform into human-sized piles. He placed the spiders and beetles into them, then cut his own hand, the scent of his blood rich and metallic. "This should do the trick," he said, his voice calm and controlled.
Wulfric watched, confusion in his eyes, until he saw the piles melt under the blood and slowly reshape themselves. The transformation was mesmerizing, the piles shifting and changing, the sound of bubbling and hissing filling the air. "Master, what is this sorcery?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Ravian glanced at Wulfric, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "In three hours, we will have silk and red dye," he explained, his voice smooth and confident. "A blend of science and magic, Wulfric."
Wulfric's eyes widened, his mind struggling to comprehend the complexity of the process. The word science was strange and alien to the lesser god, at least this land has never heard of it. "Your wisdom is beyond my understanding, Master," he said, his voice filled with genuine awe.
Ravian turned away, his mind already on the next task, the cool night air rustling through his dark, neatly styled hair. "We have much to accomplish, Wulfric," he said, his voice filled with determination, his golden eyes glowing with anticipation. "The castle awaits."
As the night wore on, Ravian kept a close eye on the swarms, his timing precise. The creatures were about to hatch, and he could feel the excitement building within him. "It is time, Wulfric," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. The night was still, the stars twinkling above, casting a soft glow over the clearing.
The creatures appeared, six-limbed bears with red scales instead of fur, their heads adorned with mandibles and many appendages, including six eyes. Ravian watched with satisfaction as one of the creatures fired a long and thick fiber of spider silk, its mouth appendages weaving it. "A success, wouldn't you agree, Wulfric?" he said, his voice filled with pride, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Wulfric's eyes were fixed on the creatures, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. "Master, these creatures are unlike anything I've ever seen," he said, his raspy voice filled with awe. Ravian clapped, his face lit with satisfaction. "They will serve us well," he said, his voice confident and assured, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
As the first light of dawn approached, Ravian assigned the creatures to harvest each other's red scales and grind them into powder. "Rest now, Wulfric," he said, his voice gentle but commanding. "We have a long night ahead." He expanded his tent and went to sleep, the night air filled with the scent of earth and magic, his body at rest as the creatures worked tirelessly.
Wulfric remained to observe, his eyes wide with curiosity, his mind filled with wonder at the creations of his new master. The clearing was alive with activity, the creatures moving with purpose, each designed to accomplish a task. The night gave way to the day as Ravian slept, and Wulfric watched, studying this strange new sorcery that not even the great heroes he met had thought of.