Chapter 232: The Fruits of Fire and Bronze
Seeing the entire village buried, Kellar established mental contact with Little Green. Focusing his intent, he issued the command to clear the rooftops and entryways across the village.
Upon receiving her masterโs instruction, a screech echoed above the building. The giant eagle, sensing that the storm had relented, spread her wings and launched into the open skies to carry out the mandate.
The eagle glided over the village center and began beating her wings with power. The force generated by her wings unleashed a targeted blizzard that blasted tons of accumulated snow off the rooftops and away from the doorways, hurling it toward open plots and past the outer perimeter.
Within minutes, the chimney vents were cleared, and the pressure against Kellarโs door relented.
Kellar pushed against the oak door once more, which gave way with a creak, allowing him to step out into the crisp morning air. As soon as the wind created by the eagle subsided, doors across the settlement began swinging open one after another. Tribe members, bundled in thick fur coats, stepped onto the streets with shovels and wooden tools, clearing the main paths to restore daily life to the Overlord tribe.
While Kellar walked along the streets supervising the cleanup efforts and ensuring no dwelling had suffered structural damage from the weight of the ice, the doors of the blacksmith workshop burst open with a clatter of wood and iron hinges.
From within emerged a group of men, women, and children, led by Garik and Lennis. Although their faces showed the fatigue of ten days of labor and their clothes were stained with soot and forge grease, every one of them wore a smile filled with pride and enthusiasm.
"Garik! Lennis!" greeted them Kellar, stepping forward with curiosity. "Why did you all remain inside the workshop throughout the Great Snowfall? I was under the impression your families were in your respective quarters before the storm hit."
"Great Shaman!" called out Garik, wiping his hands on a coal-stained rag before bowing. "We realized that commuting back and forth from our homes in the middle of such a blizzard would halt production. The workshop is massive, has plenty of space, and the heat from the active forges kept us warmer than anywhere else in the village. So we brought our families over and stayed right here working non-stop."
"And every second was worth it, my lord," interjected Lennis, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he adjusted his protective goggles onto his forehead. "We didnโt stop for a single day. We finished the molding, pouring, and polishing of the first prototype. The bronze cannon is ready! And not only that... we crafted twelve spherical warheads fitted with the front impact fuze you designed for us. The internal charges of Fire-Earth stone powder and Windstone dust remain isolated."
Kellar had underestimated the fanatical devotion of the villagers; anything they could do to support the tribe, they would execute without hesitation. He observed the dedication and effort of his craftsmen with a mixture of admiration and satisfaction; the commitment of his people was the true strength behind the Overlord tribe.
"You have done an extraordinary job," replied Kellar, giving both men a pat on the shoulder. "Lead the way, I want to see this marvel with my own eyes."
๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ท๐๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐ธ๐ถ
Crossing the threshold of the workshop, a wave of heat from the active forges hit their faces. Resting in the center of the main hall upon a heavy oak carriage reinforced with forged iron fittings stood the tribeโs newest creation: a bronze cannon, polished with care. The barrel appeared thick and sturdy, featuring a clean bore and reinforced chamber rings engineered to withstand the pressure of the powder charge.
To one side, arranged neatly on a solid timber table and cushioned by beds of dry straw, rested twelve spherical warheads. Each bronze shell displayed the iron front-impact fuze at its tip, complete with a safety pin ready to be pulled before engagement.
Lennis stepped up to the table, handling one of the warheads with care to present it to Kellar.
"Just as you commanded, my lord," explained Lennis, pointing to the upper mechanism. "The internal firing pin is aligned with the compartment holding the Fire-Earth stone powder and Windstone dust mixture. The safety pin keeps the fuze locked; only an impact against a target after firing will trigger the detonation."
Garik clapped his hand twice against the heavy wooden carriage, making the workshop echo.
"The bronze shows no cracks or air bubbles, Great Shaman," added Garik proudly. "The structure will easily hold up under live fire. We only await your command to haul this beauty past the walls and conduct our first firing test."
Kellar looked upon the piece of artillery and nodded with approval, a smile of satisfaction breaking across his face.
"Outstanding work. It is time to see what this metal monster is truly capable of," declared Kellar, turning toward the workshop exit. "Grok!"
The military leader, who stood near the doorway supervising the guard, immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, Great Shaman?" answered Grok, bowing his head with military discipline.
"Assemble a squad of soldiers and bring a heavy sled," instructed Kellar him. "Hitch the cannon carriage and bring the wooden crate with the twelve warheads as well. We are moving it past the outer wall to the open shooting range. I want everything set up for the first firing test."
"At once, my lord!" roared Grok.
Within minutes, a dozen burly warriors entered the workshop. Using thick ropes and timber poles, they maneuvered the bronze piece, securing the oak carriage onto a metal sled designed to glide over the compacted snow. Lennis secured the padded wooden container holding the twelve impact shells, ensuring no accidental jostling damaged the delicate fuzes.
The entourage led by Kellar, with Garik, Lennis, and their most experienced apprentices marching behind the cannon, traversed the freshly cleared village streets. Along the way, tribe members paused their shoveling to gaze in awe and reverence at the war machine gliding across the ice.
Upon reaching the main gate, the guards lifted the heavy wooden bars and threw open the doors. The squad pushed the sled out onto the white expanse, coming to a halt about five hundred meters outside the walls, facing a rocky hillside that would serve as a natural backstop for the target area.
Garik and Lennis rushed forward to unhitch the cannon and anchor the carriage supports deep into the frozen ground, aiming the muzzle of the bronze barrel directly toward a rock formation in the distance.
"Everything is anchored and in position, Great Shaman," announced Garik, wiping his brow as he adjusted the wooden elevation wedges. "We only await your signal to load the powder charge and the first shell."