Editing Red Sword Calls-FB Posts (section)

===5245-Lop and Fort in the Palace Commons===

A large man dressed in browns and greens sets a chair on the corner of Broad Isle and Landon Way.  It is heavy and high backed.  He quickly nails it to the cement with a few long spikes. Settling in he scans the street menacingly.  His broad shoulders and heavy brow are enough to make people give him room on the street but the arsenal he carries is excessive even for Amber.  One does not see two handed mauls outside of construction sites around here. 

Lop walks out and puts his hand on the man’s shoulder.  “Well Vomil, we seem in business.  Don’t scare away too many people.  The spells are ready.
Just keep the public out of our hair for a bit."

Lop walks back in and takes up his tankard of ale from beside the door.  A thin man in fox browns sits near the door overseeing the chaos within.  Workman of all types move lumber, sling mud, toss nails and drag cables.   The construction works are extensive and the workman skilled. 
Fort chuckles as Lop settles into the booth beside him.

“Its big, Lop.  Bigger then Alexandira and New Wall.  It will seat a thousand in the main hall and that many in the smaller ones.  The CHAD hall is damn big too.  It will funnel a lot of troops.  “

“Yes, Lots of troops.  Random wants lots of troops.  He isn’t telling us everything. Not by a damn sight.  It smells of fear out there, if not war.  He needs dragonfodder.  That’s us.  Well, we can get him fodder for the furnaces but it’ll cost him.   He wants roadmen to watch that ugly sparkling road of his.  It’s a big job.  Bigger than anything we have ever attempted.”

“Yes.  But the reward will be bigger too.  Not just dragon gold this time.  The jewels of shadow.”  He picks up a Mandalay stone from a bowl of them. ‘These are big magic.  Big.  But I can feel them now.  Taking that Broken Pattern was worth the risk..  I can feel the sorcery coursing through my veins.  Finndo is a hell of a teacher.”

“He is.  But he is an Amberite, Fortunadas, never forget it.  Venki and Jeremy are with him now I assume?”

“They are; as are a few of our other spell casters.  It’s a lot to learn.”

“Its our pay, Fort, for services rendered.  Land and magic for blood and toil.  Amberites understand little else. The king thinks to use us.  In time only death will dislodge us.  I intend to live here till something eats me.”

Fort nods, pouring a new drink for his friend and hands it to him .

“A toast then, Lop.  May we live in Amber Forever”

The old friend clink glasses and chuckle slightly as work continues around them.

[[File:Lop.jpg]] [[File:Fort3.jpg]] [[File:Vomil2.jpg]]