The Gates of Gadreel

When Will stepped through the gate, he saw nothing, but pitch-black darkness. With his eyes useless, focused on his other sense. He could hear Miles and Kurosawa gasping in shock.

"It's good to see you again," Nisha said.

"Nisha, I missed you! How are you?" Will said telepathically.

All of a sudden Elder Thaddeus cast [Cinder] and a blinding bright bonfire roared to life.

It took some minutes for Will's eyes to adjust to the light.

The first thing Will saw was the bonfire. Then he turned his head to the right and saw Nisha standing next to him. Will immediately hugged Nisha and patted her soft hair.

"How was your training? Are you done?" Will asked.

"I'm done for now. But remember, I grow as you do, so train hard," Nisha reminded Will.

"Will cast your [Earth Gathering Array] and [Mantel Array]," Elder Thaddeus said.

Will could cast the [Earth Gathering Array], but only recently perfected the [Mantel Array].

"Good that shall keep out Journeyman dire beast and below. As long as no master or grandmaster dire beast attacks, we'll be safe," Elder Thaddeus said, placing his cottage down.

Archimedes brought a recently killed deer, gutted and drained of blood.

Elder Thaddeus expertly skinned and cut the deer. The deer steaks tasted dry, but it keep them going hungry.

"Get to sleep, mornings shall start at the 5th bell," Elder Thaddeus Said walking into the cabin with Archimedes.

"Get some rest," Will said walking into the cabin with Nisha.

Kurosawa and Miles looked at each other in fright. Why can't they sleep in the cottage as well? Now they were forced to pitch their tents.

Kurosawa vont Sato was many things, but handy was not one of those.

Lucky for him, Miles learned to pitch a tent in the army. Miles quickly built both tents. To put Kurosawa's mind at least, Miles told him stories of working for Will at the Command base and in Guidon. Soon both men fell asleep in the same tent. Sharing body heat to keep them warm during the cold night winter breeze.

In the morning, Will looked out his left window and saw the two men sleeping together gather. Will laughed, 'Indeed, experience makes for strange bedfellows.'

Will walked downstairs to breakfast and had his favorite jammed toast and tea. After breakfast, Will and Elder Thaddeus sparred. The sparring was intense, but he had grown used to it. Even when stationed in the army, Will never stopped his training.

"Good, I'm glad to see you can still keep up. That was a good warm-up," Elder Thaddeus said.

"Warm-up?" Will question.

"Will tell me how you want to design your city?" Elder Thaddeus asked.

"My city will be shaped like a pentagon. With mountainside as the base of the pentagon. The pentagonal wall stretched out almost to the river. Wheat farms built outside the city walls, between the city walls and river," Will said.

"Your city shall be exposed on four sides. Why build a pentagon?" Elder Thaddeus quizzes.

"Pentagons have deep meaning for Terramancers. The pentagon represents a resolute unmovable mountain," Will said.

"What's the deeper meaning?" Elder Thaddeus pushed Will.

"The alchemical symbol for earth is a triangle. There are 35 triangles in a pentagon. The pentagon is the only shape where all alchemical symbols can be drawn. Mountains are the same, they rise into the air, water flows down from the high peaks, and volcanic mountains house fire. The pentagon is the ultimate symbol of a Terramancer," Will finished to a clapping Elder Thaddeus.

"Well done, that was marvelous," Elder Thaddeus clapped.

"Thank you, master," Will bowed.

"How long do you want your pentagonal walls?" Elder Thaddeus asked.

"20 kilometers from the base to the midpoints and 20 kilometers from the midpoints to the tip. I think it's easier if all the sides are the same," Will said.

"Based on my eyes, that gives you roughly 10 kilometers from the pentagon's trip to the river," Elder Thaddeus calculated.

"That's quite a bit of farmland," Kurosawa interrupted.

"With almost 700 square kilometers of land, we'll have a large population to feed," Will advised.

"That's bigger than Yorkshire. You could easily fit more than a million without it feeling crowded," whistled Kurosawa, who now realizes how massive an undertaking was this project.

"Enough chatting about, I want the first wall down by the end of the week," Elder Thaddeus said.

After finding the northern starting point, Will began building a 30-meter-high, double-layer cavity rock wall. Inside the cavity, was bricks Master Duncan taught Will to make.

After finishing one meter of his 20-kilometer wall, Will's mana whirlpool was empty. Will's mind started to rethink his strategy. This was looking like an impossible task.

"Did you spend all your mana?" Elder Thaddeus asked angrily.

"Yes, master," Will said nervously.

"What good is an [Earth Gather Array], if you don't use it? Use the mana from the array to build the walls. Allow your mana, to direct mana from the array. In the meantime, here drink this and continue" Elder Thaddeus said handing Will a greater mana recovery potion.

Pills and potions had three grades lesser, middle, and greater. The higher the grade the better…and more expensive.

But, Elder Thaddeus handed Will the greater mana recovery like it was trash.

After finishing the kilometer it was already night. Will had gone an entire day without eating, just to build this wall.

Elder Thaddeus acted as a slave driver, not letting his rest. He could only rest after building a kilometer. That was 15 hours of hard labor. Elder Thaddeus also had him build the entire battlement, including crenels and parapet walk, and stairs.

Will returned to the cottage and was in no mode for socializing.

"Kurosawa design the city, including the inner walls. My castle shall be by the waterfall," Will ordered.

The next morning the process continued before Will saw a flash in his eye. He had gained one point in Terramancer skills. On the third day, Will was able to complete two kilometers. On the fourth day, his status was updated again. So the pattern began, his status would increase every three days. And after every update, it became easier to build more kilometers of the wall. In two weeks Will finished the first 20-kilometer wall. Even better, Will could improve his efficiency each week. It should be long before Will finished his walls.

Race: Human

Rank: 1 (Baron)/ Lord of Games/ Gaia's Champion

Class: Merchant

Sub Class: Spellsword

Attributes:

Constitution—55

Strength—54

Dexterity—48

Intellect—66

Charisma—15

Ranks Skills: Management (53), Diplomacy (35), Accounting (52)

Class Skills: Appraisal (15, 100), [Radar]

Abilities: Journeyman Swordsmanship (6, 50), Journeyman Terramancer (7+15, 50), Gaia's Blessing (multiplies your spell strength x2), Apprentice Blacksmith (20, 25).

In two weeks, Will finished the gatehouse, Portcullis, barbican, three sides, and three towers, two on the pentagons midpoints and one at the endpoint touching the mountain.

However, Will's favorite part was working the gatehouse. Will wanted his gatehouse to resemble the Gates of Agonath, in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of The Rings book. Since he was a child he loved the imagery of these standing kings. It was reassuring and sent a strong message.

Will used modeling, he carved 50 meters height statues holding a large Roman Scutum shield that covered their knees to shoulder. Only the feet, a helmeted head, and one angel wing extend out to show. On the angels' shield was a single tower. These were the Gates of Gadreel, later he had the angels covered in gold.

The last 20-kilometer-long wall connects the south midpoint, to the mountain. The problem was that area was covered in woods. Will would have to cut down the trees first.

Instead of finishing the outer wall, Will finished two concentric pentagonal inner walls. Inside the inner pentagon would be the administration buildings and churches. The pentagons connected at the mid or endpoints, effectively creating ten equal trapezoid districts.

Will's house would be built between the mountains and the middle pentagon. Between Will's property and the inner pentagon would be the noble districts. The poor would live in the four districts between the outer and middle pentagonal walls. The middle class, crafters, and merchants would live in the middle pentagon.

In the morning, Will would cut down trees and in the evening build his house. Whenever Will flew to France for business, he would always take a moment to visit the Château de Chambord.

It's not the most famous or largest château, but Will simply admired the architecture.

Will built a 20,000 square meter replica, filled with 440 rooms, 77 staircases, over 300 fireplaces, sculptured columns, four towers, turrets, stables, a chapel, chimneys, and a double helix grand staircase.

The basement house the servant's rooms, kitchen, and cellars.

On the ground floor, Will built a large hall, reception rooms, drawing rooms, morning rooms, dining rooms, libraries, and ballrooms.

On the second floor, he built the master apartments, bed, and bathrooms. The third floor housed more room, and the rooftop offered a breathtaking terrace, that allowed Will to see out to the river.

For two months, Will worked night and day, sleeping only four hours a night.

In three days, the first caravan of slaves, supplies, and Michael would arrive with the new staff.

After finishing his mansion, Will returned to cutting wood and slowly building the wall. Even Miles and Kurosawa cut trees to help Will. Slowly but surely. Will was able to build 15 kilometers of the last wall. He only had five more kilometers until the whole city was walled off.

Just as Will finished chopping a tree, he felt an insect bite him in the neck. Before he could swat the fly, he realized it was a tranquility dart in his jugular vein.

"Why?" was the only thing he could say before he collapsed next to a sleeping Nisha.

Just before Will fell asleep he saw a flash in his eyes and felt himself being thrown into a bag.