I woke up fairly early the next morning. Aesteal was still sleeping and I sought to not disturb her. When I looked at her, I remembered her declaration. "What would make you fall in love with a pirate? You be a strange one, Aesteal," I whispered as I pushed a piece of hair from the side of her face. I rubbed my hand on her cheek. She squirmed for a moment and I shook my head. What the fuck was I doing?
I also noticed Nei and her sister sleeping together just a few inches from me. I slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. The blood-soaked waters of Draegnar filled my nose as the sun slowly started to rise over the horizon. I noticed a few ships started to pull off from the harbor. Many of them were from various kingdoms and empires. However, I noticed that only the most prestigious ones bothered to stay around still.
Confused, I stretched. I grabbed my coat and threw it over my shoulders. On any other day, I wouldn't have minded staying in bed with Aesteal, caressing her until she gently woke up in my arms. Unfortunately, I had too much other work to do and I'd need to begin setting my route for Hæňgaram.
When I stepped out of my room, Draegnar's warm air hit my face. As soon as I walked out, I noticed the five men and women from Hilvir that I sent out. All of them knelt. At least three of them had some type of item. The other two came back with nothing, or so it seemed on the surface.
I waved my hand for them to follow me. They obeyed and I walked over to a railing. I scratched my chin for a moment and folded my arms. "Well?" I asked.
The first, a man, came up to me and presented his findings. He held out a piece of old paper. "Captain, I recovered this map detailing the trade route of House Ogrun. I had initially thought to ignore it, but I heard talk of a... stone from the heavens with a mysterious aura. I believe it to be the same as we might have encountered on Delverhold," he said.
My eyes narrowed at this news. I grabbed the map and opened it. Indeed, it detailed the trade route of House Ogrun, a lesser noble house of Draegnar. More than that, it marked a spot in the Sairan Empire. Of course, it was possible this wasn't a moonstone, but I wasn't about to take that risk. This was a good find.
"Very good, Hrnon," I said. He bowed, saluting me the same way an elf would. He then stepped back and I asked for the next person.
A woman came forward, bowing to me. "Sir, these are a handful of jeweled blades I recovered from a wealthy guard at the auction. It was a risk, but I thought to try my hand at the most suitable spot," she said.
Aye, the blades were very beautiful. Each of them glowed with great radiance against the light of the coming sun. They'd fetch a pretty coin if I decided to sell them. I furled up the daggers and handed them back to the woman. "Keep them, Dria. May they mark your successful conquest," I said. She bowed and moved back.
I went through all of the five members and I was thoroughly impressed with all of them. The last one offered me some pretty interesting news. Apparently, there was news of Sairan's troops making an aggressive expansion into C'ula's territory. My lips curved upwards. Well, that was quite the interesting piece of news. No doubt that came about because of me. With C'ula still in the midst of rebuilding itself from its brief battle with me, of course nations would fight for the honor of claiming it. That would at least keep Hæňgaram from getting bombarded by any allies Zevmar had under his command. C'ula was much too important to simply ignore. That would offer Alteria some time to look into his activities on her own.
I dismissed them all after getting them proper praise and reward for their efforts. Once they were dismissed, I stared out into the sea. "And what of House Lindengar?" I asked, the sun slowly moving over my face.
"Thou art quite insufferable. Thee ought to be grateful that I even bothered with this farce, especially after thee rushed such bountiful of lust deep inside me?! I shouldest strangle thee where thou stand for this disgrace inflicted upon me!" An'raie wailed while I laughed.
"Don't act like ya didn't enjoy it. Besides, I believe I've more than held up my end of the bargain regarding the deals made by you and I. Who knows, should I find the proper materials to construct a body for you, we might not need a medium anymore," I replied before I felt a harsh chill ran over my body.
"That thee would darest think I would honor thee to toucheth me even if I desired for such a thing is u-u-utterly asinine. Be grateful for mine mercies that I do not shatter thine mortal coils which keep me bound to thee!" she snarled, but it seemed more like a blustering wind instead of a hurricane of rage that her anger usually was.
"Aye, aye. Thanks for your mercies," I replied.
I heard An'raie growl in my ear for a moment before I saw her appear in front of me, floating over the side of the ship. "Her words ring with great truth. Mine eyes spotted many documents of this man-spawn's deals with this drivel of a nation, Thynia. He hath made a deal to relinquish the soul of his wife for the medicine that will restore his lost... vitality. The affairs of the she-devil hath burdened him so much that he hath seen fit to discard her," she replied.
Well, I couldn't say I was surprised. Falvor was a piece of shit and he was married to a greedy cunt. It ain't actually the most trustworthy union. Still, I couldn't exactly have that. While I didn't necessarily need Anastasia for my plans to work, it was much more convenient to keep her around. I'd already established contact with her and we had a somewhat working relationship. Plus, she was much more predictable than Falvor was. I was rather intrigued by what she would come up with to betray me. Her husband wasn't nearly as entertaining. Besides, since I'd already changed the future with my actions, I hoped to keep as much knowledge of it as I could.
"Thank you, An'raie," I said as she floated around me.
"Keepeth thine gratitude. My mana hath waned slightly. I shall merge mine soul with thee again for a time. Dare thee to not disturb me!" she said before I felt our merging complete. She then fell silent and I leaned off the railing. I decided to head back to Ellen's underground auction. I figured it was over and these vessels hadn't left since some of them might have business with Liara. It seemed to be the only thing that made sense.
Unfortunately, I was proven wrong in the worst ways when I activated the magic array and appeared back on the viewing platform. Diane had fallen asleep on Goron's shoulder while the others looked downright irritable.
"You all look like shit," I said, causing everyone to jump. I was rather worried when they all gazed at me, their faces a little haggard.
"400.5 Million!"
"400.6 Million!"
"400.7 Million!"
"So good of you to fucking join us. If you weren't my son, I'd fucking shank you with the dirtiest shiv I had. Eric, please make them stop! They've been at this for over ten hours!" my mother said as I walked down the steps.
The room below was still crowded, but there were only two authorities still willing to bid. I sucked my teeth when I noticed it was an official of the Hæňgaram empire and an official from the Sairan Empire. When I saw the prize, I slowly shook my head. That was a scroll containing pieces of the body of Ỳrmïndle. Judging by the high bidding, it was one of his organs.
I noticed Naala asleep on Maeloson's shoulder, snoring away while he didn't seem worse for wear. He just continued to observe the auction with a gaze of concentration I thought no normal person could have. When I followed his eyes, I saw him looking down at a trio of cloaked individuals. Oddly curious, I sat back in my seat.
I noticed Ellen's particular silence. When I looked at her, I saw the tiredness on her face. There was also a deep scowl on her face, almost as if she was using her anger to keep herself awake. I touched her shoulder. She glared at me.
"All of you go back to the ship. I can take over the shit here. Get some rest. You're all dismissed. When I return, I better not see you anywhere but in your beds. That be an order," I said.
My mother leaned forward and massaged the bridge of her nose. "You'll be fine by yourself?" she asked. I chuckled and kissed her forehead.
"I've handled a treacherous sea, dreaded isles, and the son of a fucking crazed alchemist. I bet I can handle an auction house. You've all done enough," I said.
My mother yawned and stood up. "Fucking bard songs to my ears," she said before she moved out her chair and slapped Diane's shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at my mother.
"Come on, Eric says we can get the fuck outta here. I bet there's a few beds with our names of them," she said. Diane raised an eyebrow and looked back at me. She snorted and rolled her shoulders.
"I'd fucking slug you if I could," she said before she leaned off Goron. Maeloson helped up Naala while I eased Ellen's gaze with my hand. I snaked my arm around her and rubbed her far shoulder.
"Go, Ellen. I ain't in the mood to see you collapse," I told her. Once those words left my mouth, I saw her body ease as she closed her eyes for a moment. Wordlessly, she stood up as well and walked over to the array. Soon, I was left alone to watch the proceedings of the auction.
"400.8 Million! Sairan Dawnbringer Garald, for the sake of the treaty, I suggest you stay your hands!"
"401 Million! Business is business, Hæňgaram Ashenwatch Commander Nassen. Whatever the Fates decide, so it shall be."
I rolled my eyes as the auction continued, climbing higher and higher to ridiculous amounts. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. Sairan and Hæňgaram could afford to be this reckless with their money. I was a little surprised that the Mage Association wasn't jumping it, but it didn't take me too long to figure out why. All of the forces were waiting for the winner to be decided. They'd then rub fucking shoulders and negotiate with the winner for the troll's corpse. Well, either that or they'd go to war for it. That was also a possibility.
What they were bidding for would turn them into a leading powerhouse in the world of D'orn, whether for magic or for military purposes. Either way, I knew it wouldn't end with just this. Ỳrmïndle was an existence that the world would have thought impossible, ranking higher than any of the beasts categorized in any adventurer's guide. His study would also lead more to discovering other untold places of D'orn.
Another four hours of bidding went by before I finally had enough of this game of Who Had The Biggest Cock. I think the auctioneer did as well. He stared up at me with pleading eyes. He must have been informed by Ellen who was in charge of this auction. I slowly nodded and asked for him.
The auctioneer seemed all too happy to comply. He excused himself and managed to make it to me discreetly. I spoke of some plans with him and he swiftly grew an understanding smirk. "Ellen was right. You're a devious son of a bitch!" The auctioneer said while I leaned back in my chair and laughed.
"Glad you approve," I said as he turned around and left.
The auctioneer appeared back on the podium and cleared his throat, asking for the attention of everyone. "Well, I'm glad we have two individuals so interested in this prize. Unfortunately, we seem to be unable to reach a compromise and I've been allowed to make a suggestion. The current bid is 600 Million! If no one else cares to bid, then this amount shall be the final benchmark. Both parties shall sail out into the open waters of Draegnar on their ships. The auction shall present a dueling ground in the middle of both ships. Both parties will send out their best available warriors. Per Draegnar's rules of combat, the match shall end when the opponent dies, surrenders, or loses a limb. The winner shall receive their prize!" the auctioneer said.
The crowd below me mumbled for a time, however none of them desired to set the price higher. The Hæňgaram representative stood to his feet. "The Nation of Hæňgaram shall bear its shield and accept this duel!" Commander Nassen shouted, his voice strong and filled with pride. Ah, one of those zealous fuckers. He'd probably be a good match for Lady Knight if they met.
The Sairan fucker, Garald, stood up as well. "By the blade we stand, by the blade we fall! Sairan shall accept as well!" he said, his large build pushing his chair back.
The auctioneer chuckled and nodded. "Very well, may the gods and spirits bear witness to this duel! Now, I must say that we're all greatly exhausted from the night. The duel shall take place in three days from now! May you all be well-rested and ready!" he said. He then picked up the scroll while the guards began to follow him out.
One by one the patrons began to leave. I noticed a few of the mages from the Mage Association staring at me. I wasn't sure what for, but I decided to leave. As I stood up, I saw Anastasia also giving me a look as she had her arms wrapped around her husband's arm. I surmised that any business talks would be held later. From the way some of the people stumbled out of the auction room, they all seemed to be very tired. I sure as hell couldn't blame the lot. While I'd expected the corpse of the troll to garner a lot of attention, I hadn't expected it them to actually bid on the fucking thing for over fourteen hours.
I stepped back on the portal and cast the spell on it. I was taken back to the Dead Tales Tavern. Once Ellen got her much deserved rest, I'd have her handle dishing out the payment to the workers for that night. It would not just be for the auction, but also for the Dead Tales itself. We'd also have to work on a replacement for her and I to run the tavern while we were gone. As Ellen was my quartermaster, naturally she wouldn't be having much time to run a tavern and neither would I. Then again...
I hummed to myself as I walked out the Dead Tales, my mind mulling over the details of the things I wanted to test. I could leave one of the men of Hilvir here. I figured the men would be more comfortable in a rowdy environment than the lasses still under my charge. Though the women proved themselves to be capable, I'd rather not stress them out with the potential rowdiness of an island like Draegnar. This wasn't the most suitable land for them. Draegnar was way worse than Hilvir. It was why all, but the most determined of them on the boat.
After a moment, I found myself in front of The Root again. I thought of Liara and chuckled. She never did get back to me on her findings of that moonstone. Somehow, I assumed that was on purpose. Liara just couldn't make things easy for me.
As I walked inside, I noticed Pete by his stall, still smoking away with his shitty fish. He eyed me and gave me a nod, raising his dirty cigar at me while I opened the door. I greeted him before I stepped inside the Root and closed the door. I stared at what was the face of the store, memories moving through me of when I came in here. Both in my past life and this one as well. They say you never realize the shit you have until it's gone.
I never thought I'd miss Liara's oddly aggravating ways and teasing archaic banter so readily. I wondered where she went. What destiny had she paved out that even I couldn't tread upon it? I chuckled. Even with all her memories, the witch still affects me in mysterious ways. Perhaps I ought to just cut my losses and understand that I'll never comprehend the woman for as long as we both tread the mortal plane.
I walked out of the front shop and into the back one. I grabbed the handle and threw the door open, stepping inside. As I wandered the seemingly endless halls of this back shop that defied all common sense, I pondered Liara's leaving all of this to me. I wondered why she'd fucking leave me this when she and I knew there was shit in here even I couldn't properly deal with. I wasn't prepared to use the word 'trust' to describe it. I'd rather think she did this for her own warped sense of amusement.
After a time, I found myself back in her quarters. As expected, there was nothing here but a pile of books and her desk. For a woman who seemed to understand eternity, her abode was rather simple. I'd oddly expected a woman of Liara's elegance to dwell on more refined tastes. I grabbed one of her tomes and opened it, sitting on the bed. The tome spoke of an ancient group of mages spread out through every race, tribe, and tongue that worshiped the Divine Spirits. They battled another ancient race of mages, oracles, and prophets that worshiped the greatness of Olympus.
Apparently, neither of these two thought the two were one and the same. One assumed that Zeus and his little fucked up family were trying to overthrow the Divine Spirits. The other boosted that the gods created the Divine Spirits as a means of connecting with the mortal realm. Why those fuckers even bothered was beyond me, but I found myself reading for a time before I was started by a knock on the door.
"Enter," I said.
I noticed Goron come through, his size as formidable as always. He bowed to me. "Sir, you have a customer," he said.
My lips thinned. "Ain't you supposed to be sleeping?" I asked.
He continued to stare at me. "I don't sleep."
Well, that was a tidbit of information I wasn't aware of. "He also asked for Lady Liara. I told him she was indisposed so he asked for the person who's running the store," he said next.
I closed the book I was reading, standing up in the process. Well, I supposed I couldn't leave Liara's clients to themselves. "Fine. Wait a moment," I said as I felt the magic begin to swirl around me.
"Ishramval!" I chanted, effectively transforming my entire body. My skin became notably paler with a hairier face, arms, and legs. I sported a long, bushy tail and wolf-like ears. I also aged myself up a little bit. This way no one would know that the Witch of Draegnar had temporarily given her entire fortune to a pirate.
"Aye, let's go," I said as we both walked out.
The reason to transform myself was relatively simple. Liara's enemies were powerful, more powerful than I'd care to compete with. On my own, there wasn't much worry, but I wasn't confident to protect my mother, Ellen, and the rest of my crew at the same time while facing these great enemies. Besides, the ones who would destroy D'orn were still missing. I'd already painted a target on my back after the incident with C'ula. If they learned that I'd come under control of the Root before I knew how to deal with them, then that would only spell more trouble for me.
I wondered why Goron didn't bother asking me about my reasons, but he was another existence I sure as hell didn't know much about. Even now, with so many memories of Liara's open to me, I still didn't know much about the guy. In fact, his existence was more shrouded in mystery than Liara's fucking was.
I entered Liara's office, taking a seat in her chair. Never did I think I'd find myself on her side of the table. Goron bowed his head and left for a moment, only to return with the client and his little entourage.
If I had to describe this fucker, then I'd say he looked just like every other noble. He walked with an air of privileged arrogance. His clothing was rather exorbitant in quality. His hair was so neatly brushed and pampered, I took it for the tail of a horse. Then there was his face. He definitely didn't seem the type that got out a whole lot.
When I saw his crest, my eyes narrowed. Hmm, the Zhrican Kingdom, one of the smaller kingdoms in D'orn and also one very far away. He must have been here for the auction because I dunno who the fuck would journey from the Lands of Ereenien all the way to Draegnar like this. I also wondered if maybe I'd transformed into the wrong thing.
"Well, this is a surprise. I was expecting The Great Witch's replacement to not be so... feral," the noble said with a smile. Seas, I wasn't in the fucking mood for this.
"Keep up the attitude and this'll be the last time you expect anything," I answered as I tapped my finger on the desk.
"Clearly short-tempered as well. Though I shouldn't be surprised, even if it walks on two legs a dog is still a dog," the man said next, his little group of guards laughing behind him. My lips curved upwards as I leaned on the desk, my chin in my hands.
"Aye, and it be rather fitting that should your blood be spilled upon the Draegnar shores then you'll bleed red just as I will. Now, I'm very busy, you can either continue comparing the size of your dick to mine with shitty insults, or you can quit wasting my time and get to the point of your visit," I suggested, the nobleman from Zhrican glaring at me with anger in his eyes. He was rather lucky he was a client of Liara, a regular at that. Those who insult me don't usually spend the next day alive.
That said, if I was ever in the Zhrican Kingdom, I'd make fucking sure to raid this nobleman and any other shitty relatives he had.
"Your tongue is clearly unwashed and unrefined. I'd expected more from your refined and beautiful master. However, I am an adaptable young man," he said as he took a seat, making a show of dusting off the chair before he did.
His friends stayed at the door while he leaned forward. "I've been sent here to procure enhancement and refining materials for the Zhrican Kingdom. Here is a list of all the items the kingdom will need. We're willing to pay your master handsomely for any that she may provide to us," he said.
I hummed, making to grab the list from his hand until he placed it on the table and slid it towards me. As I grabbed the list, I thought of the thousand ways I could brutally murder this fucker. Still, he either had impressive balls or a death wish. I know not many who would of Liara's workers in such a manner. In fact, it made me smile a moment when I thought of what Diane might do to him if she were the one sitting here.
I looked over the list and hummed. Vlander spit, aelik grass, rune tags, steel blood, sanded iron ore, spirit's tears, and so much more than it filled an entire page. I quickly scanned Liara's memories of this man as fast as I could. He'd never asked for enchantment materials before. In fact, most of the times he came he was to try and court her when he was in the area. Most of the time, she seemed amused by his actions. A few others, not so much.
"If you need enhancement materials, there are many associations from Zhrican to here that could provide you with good quality. What need have you to sail all the way here?" I asked, my eyes looking up and down this list.
"While it's not any of your concern, there's been a recent change in the flow of stable enchantment materials. The Witch of Draegnar went missing for a few months, so it's probably expected that you wouldn't know. An unknown faction's been buying all of the enhancement materials across D'orn. It was one of the reasons why so many ships sailed to this backwater island to attend the auction held by Ellen Sothshore. The promise of enhancement materials was well worth the trip here,"
My lips thinned as I stared off to the side for a moment. Aye, I remembered something like that happening in my past life. There had been a shortage of enhancement materials for about a year. No one could find any because a rumored source had been buying them all up. Unfortunately, no one knew the person or people who bought them all up. It sent the world of D'orn into a spiraling state where nations had to expend their own resources to find the materials they desired in the wild. This wasn't something easy to do because a lot of the beasts or lands to get these great materials were wrought danger. The average nation just didn't have enough talented warriors or mages to warrant heading to these places. Many of them formed alliances and others were annexed to the stronger kingdoms and empires.
In fact, I distinctly remember that this happened... during Hæňgaram's war. That was because I saw in Liara's memories, that a man tried on multiple occasions to get her to cease her relationship with the empire. The man tried all he could to get her to renounce Hæňgaram, but Liara adamantly turned him down. At some point, the pleas became demands. Demands turned into force. Of course, to someone like Liara, this was all just a bit of entertainment on the usual road that was her life. She paid the threats no mind until they became tiresome. She cast a curse on the man and his soldiers. After that, she was left to pursue her business as usual.
Now that Liara was gone, I wondered if I might have the chance to receive this person who used to trouble her.
I leaned back in the wooden chair and nodded. "I see. Sounds like you got it rough," I said before I grabbed a quill and signed the request paper with my signature. While the fucker was an ass, i had no reason to deny him his request. You can find bastards like that in almost every land you journey to.
"Goron will fetch your supplies. You can see yourselves out," I said as I opened a book of records and wrote his name inside.
"I'd call it a pleasure, Beastman, but I'd at least like to keep my integrity. May the moon not incite your bestial instincts," he said as he got up and walked out.
I snorted and sat back in the chair. I hoped that would be the last of the motherfuckers I'd have to deal with today.
Unfortunately, either the Liara or the Fates decided to fuck my ass on that one. Goron came back to me five minutes later with another patron in tow. I pinched the bridge of my nose, praying that I could just freeze the entire fucking shop into the cold depths of Draegnar. Maybe then the hungry sharks would have something to feed on for the rest of their fucking lives!
One patron turned into three. Three turned into ten. Ten turned into twenty. Hours and hours passed me by as my anger rose higher and higher. This was not what I had planned for the day. I had way more important shit to do than tending to Liara's customers!
Now, I began to see that perhaps the presence of the auction might have been something of an oversight. With so many wealthy prospectors attending Ellen's underground circle, it stood to reason that some of her clientele would want to visit her. Still, did they all have to fucking show up one after the other? Didn't most of these bastards hate each other?! They should be killing each other to hoard the other's supplies, not piss me off like a brat screaming for his mother's teat in the wee hours of the night!
The even more terrifying thing was that I was sure Goron was only sending me the bastards that Liara normally handled. Who the fuck knew how many people he'd tended to without sending them to me.
As I sent the thirtieth bastard away, I leaned back and grumbled. Liara, you were gonna suffer for putting me through this.
When Goron entered the room, I stood up. "Close up the shop, Goron. I ain't taking anyone else today!" I said and I noticed a touch of amusement on his face.
"Then you're in luck. I assumed you'd be ready to shoot something in the face, so I closed the shop. If you can make it through the last patron who made it in, then we'll be done," he said while I leaned forward.
"You're having fun with this, aren't ya?" I asked.
He offered me something between a chuckle and scoff. "I've been doing this for Lady Liara for many centuries. You haven't experienced the worst of it, Captain. However, it'd do well for you to work through them. I surmise Lady Liara would be rather impressed with your fortitude," he answered.
My mouth thinned. Oh, I'd indeed experienced the worst of it. The many days at sea had left me without much to do, except to gloss over her memories like I was watching a play. How Liara remained sane amongst the thousands of proposals from men and women was beyond me.
Also, if Goron thought he was baiting me with that obvious ploy, I'd have to disappoint him... even though I sat back in the chair. I merely pushed through with this shit because I was a fucking bastard. I was a stubborn fucker if nothing else.
I waved my hand for Goron to get the client. He offered me a smirk, but left at that. When the door opened, the last person I was expecting to see was Alteria Balamar's enemy, Zevmar Lightfeather. As usual, his body was adorned with the glory of Hæňgaram. At this point, I was lucky that Goron had been somewhere else on the ship. A man of his size, Zevmar wouldn't have missed Goron if he saw him. I supposed I should thank my fortune that Diane wasn't here and still asleep on the ship. Even more than that, I should thank my intuition to hide the ships along the hidden cove on the other side of the island. Of all the bastards that the Empire of Crystallized Ash could have sent me, it had to be this one.
Luckily, he didn't seem to recognize me. Instead, he grabbed his chair and sat down. "Where is Liara Ilzahold, the mistress of The Root? I wish to speak to her," he said.
I leaned back and laughed. "Would you be so kind as to take a number? Nearly everyone who has come in today has wished to gaze upon the profound existence that is the Witch of Draegnar. However, you all make my tongue go dry with each passage of story. If Goron brought you to me, then clearly that should mean that Liara ain't here. Until she returns, I'm in charge of the shop. What do you want?" I asked.
Zevmar stared at me for a little while, his eyes as piercing as any first-rate sword. "Your tone reminds me of someone," he said, eyeing me suspiciously.
Despite his statement, I wasn't concerned. Instead, I waved a hairy hand at him. "Yeah well, if you stay on Draegnar for a number of years, you'll find that almost everyone talks like this. Though, I could say the same for you. Still, I see at least fifty of you upper-class types every day. Thanks for not blinding me with your empire's colors. You lot shine brighter than Helio," I replied.
Zevmar continued to stare at me for a moment. I continued to stare back until I had enough. "The local brothel's got beastmen like me if that be your type of poison. I ain't interested however. So please tell me what you want. I wasn't even supposed to take you today," I said before I watched Zevmar reach into his armor and pull a scroll. The item was made of vanilla Hæňgaramian-paper, properly enchanted and smoothed.
"Do you speak for the Liara Ilzahold then? Has she given you authority over all her affairs?" he asked, setting the scroll on the table.
"If she didn't, then I wouldn't be sitting in this chair. Anyway, what manner of thing is this?" I asked, pointing to the scroll Alteria's enemy presented before me.
Befitting someone of the Lightfeather house, Zevmar leaned back and placed one leg over the other. It was no different from when the usual noblemen did their business, or at least super stuffy ones. "I have a proposition for the Root, one that I believe will benefit us both. In this scroll is over a hundred pounds of Hæňgaram's volcanic, crystallized ash. Consider it a show of good faith to a hopefully smooth arrangement between us," he said.
Believe me when I tried hard to keep a wide grin off my fucking face. I had to pinch my skin so damn hard my leg bled a little. I couldn't allow Zevmar to take notice of my enthusiasm, very hard to do for a greedy pirate such as myself. However, I believe I won out in the end. It helped that I was very suspicious of this. What would Hæňgaram need of Liara to send her a hundred pounds of crystallized for? That is, if this even was for Hæňgaram at all.
I leaned back, finding control of myself. "Right. And what does the empire require of us?" I asked, not showing any indication of reaching for the scroll.
Zevmar's stout expression suddenly gained a smile. When I stared into his eyes, I found them to be the same as mine. Those were the eyes of great ambition. "I trust the witch and all her workers are capable of client confidentiality. The stores in this scroll are not from Hæňgaram, they are my personal collection stored over my thirty years of service. I will give you this amount, if the Root will supply only me and my forces with all resources and enhancement materials from this day forth. In return, my forces will aid you in supplying whatever you need, whenever you desire. You will also receive a substantial amount of Hæňgaram's crystallized ash every month. All I ask is that this not happen for the next year or so," he proposed.
As soon as that proposal left his mouth, I started to gain an understanding about what that other customer said earlier in the day. Aye, all of that was starting to make sense. It seemed that Zevmar was gathering his forces for his assault against Hæňgaram. If that was the case, then I wondered if the Hæňgaram forces that were at the auction bidding on Ỳrmïndle's corpse were a part of his group as well.
I tried to keep my face neutral, using the silence as a means to think. If those were Zevmar's forces, then one of his warriors would be fighting a warrior from Sairan in three days. This would give me a chance to at least catch a glimpse of what he had under his command, if this was even the case. I assumed it wasn't if only because I thought about how he could have gained so much money as to bid against the Sairan empire. That made me believe that Hæňgaram was actually trying to bid on the corpse and Zevmar would use whatever dealings he had to procure pieces of the troll for his own use. In fact, I wondered if, on the off chance that Hæňgaram came out with the prize, would he offer an alliance with Sairan to take the treasure?
I resisted the urge to groan. This was why I fucking hated politics and wars. This was also why I preferred to stay out of this type of shit. Had Alteria not enticed me with such a deal, I wouldn't have given two shits about any of this. Still, it wasn't like I could back out now.
Well, that was a lie. Alteria sure as hell couldn't stop me if I wanted out of this shit, but I was rather intrigued by all of this. Plus, I had something to gain in this, both for Alteria and for my own reasons. "You must be new to the business venture. While Hæňgaram might be one of the most powerful empires in the land of D'orn, it's a massive loss for the Root if we ally simply with you. In case you've forgotten, but we also deal with forces and beings beyond your comprehension. The Empire of Crystallized Ash can hardly resist the wrath of these many forces. Neither can we. Your good faith is appreciated, but we won't be reciprocating," I said firmly.
If I was going to war with gods, demons, and divine spirits, especially if D'orn was concerned, then I'd need more than what I had. For now, I was beneath their notice. I couldn't afford their attention right now. Hell, I probably had enough of it when I'd been named to temporarily take over Liara's business.
"What if we can guarantee your protection from these fierce beings?" Zevmar asked.
My lips curved down. There was confidence in both the man's voice and eyes. He knew something I didn't. However, I didn't let this bother me. "Then Hæňgaram would be standing at the top of all of D'orn. Unless you have something that'll make me think otherwise," I returned.
I hoped to frustrate Zevmar a little bit. Alteria spoke highly of his false character. He was a man of great patience and charisma. I wanted to disrupt that if only a little. "Your doubt is expected. However, your mistress is a woman who has remained static through a world of great change. What I ask of you is not for Hæňgaram. It's for the Eternal Witch to take her place amongst the upper echelon of the realms. Hæňgaram will ascend to that very top, and all her children will as well. All you need do is join us," he said.
Well, that definitely told me what I wanted to know. Whatever he was doing, it was to combat Hæňgaram. Still, in my time, he failed this conquest. I hadn't involved myself at all and the empire continued to stand tall, as far as I was aware. That said, clearly there was more to this than was known to me. I'd have to send a message to Alteria when the opportunity presented itself.
"Well, I speak for our mistress and we aren't the place where we need to rely on one client. If that is all, you're dismissed," I said, again not touching the scroll as I stood to my feet. I rolled my shoulders and grumbled. So much of my fucking day had been wasted behind a desk.
"Very well, but I will return again. Next time will not be under such peaceful circumstances. Please tell your mistress that even the strongest trees with the deepest roots might be felled by a mighty hand in time. Should you change your mind, I shall leave this here. Have a good day," he said.
I watched him get up, grab the scroll, and leave. Once he was gone, I turned to the table and saw an emblem. When I picked it up, my eyes narrowed. I remembered this thing. The insignia was the same as that time I peered into Liara's memories on the voyage to Delverhold. The witch had met with three mysterious figures clad in red robes bearing this exact emblem.
I stared at the familiar crest of a fallen phoenix, its body punctured by a large sword.
I glared at the emblem, the fucking thing looking like some kind of cursed blade stabbing into the back of a poor bastard in a Draegnar alleyway. I picked it up, almost expecting some kind of curse to fly out and try to ensnare me. Of course, it didn't do that. I merely continued to gaze at it, hoping it was just a fucking coincidence.
"Heh, right, a coincidence. When has the shit in your life been a matter of coincidence, Eric Drakclaw?" I questioned as I sat back in the chair. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, moving through Liara's memories. I hoped to trace the origins of this emblem and what it might mean.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to gather much. The history of this pendant was shrouded in darkness. However, from what I was able to gather, this insignia started appearing around 1600 years ago. It was a small cult of followers who believed in the creation of the greatest mortal, a child born from the blood of every race in all the realms. I wasn't sure exactly what they wanted this... brat for, but it seemed to be very important to these bastards. At the very least, it was important enough for its earliest members to kidnap men and women of every race, forcing them to breed and then forcing the offspring of those two to breed as well. I wasn't sure how, but they even got a few demonic entities to participate.
They were stopped from their practices by a joint effort of long dead nations, warriors, and mages. Each of the cult was brought before the Council of Ten. All of them were tossed into the ocean, eaten alive by the horrors of the deep. I wasn't sure what happened to the offspring of those children. It wasn't granted to me by Liara's memories, but the practice was destroyed and that emblem became the stuff of folktales. However, it didn't seem to be some tale told over a nice tankard anymore.
I pocketed the badge. Was this the same group? Was it possible that Zevmar was just using its name for another purpose? Neither of these questions did I know. What I did know was that that Lightfeather bastard wasn't taking this war lightly. He'd hit Hæňgaram with the full force of a fucking dwarven cannonball. Still, I just wasn't convinced. If an empire like Hæňgaram could be felled simply by one of its soldier's going rogue, then it wouldn't have lasted a thousand-year empire. That made me all the more nervous. What did that bastard have that instilled such confidence in him to tackle the empire?
These questions and more plagued my mind even as I had Goron close up the shop, the sun already gone from the sky. I returned back to my human form, deciding to head back to the ship and continuing to ponder this predicament. I almost wished I hadn't asked An'raie to monitor Falvor. I could have used her to see what Zevmar had planned. Unfortunately, I doubted she'd be in the mood to help me now. I'd rather not continue to rake up a debt with her.
When I stepped back on the ship, I noticed my mother on the deck of the ship. She looked as delectable a treasure as always. She noticed me as well and grinned. "And here I thought you might have gone and drowned beneath the sea. Where the hell have you been?" she asked, kissing me briefly.
I laughed, tired from dealing with the fuckheads of the day. "Catering to the rich in place of a missing witch, Mother. You look more alive than you were in the morning," I said which got a smirk out of her.
"Aye, sleep'll do that for you. So what's with the rotten look on your face? You look like you just gambled the entire ship's savings away."
I knew her statement was a joke, but that was indeed similar to how I felt at the moment. Sometimes, I feared my mother was too fucking perceptive for her own good sometimes. However, that was what I loved about her. Rather than answer her question just yet, I looked around the ship.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked.
My mother half-chuckled and sighed. "Well, Maeloson's still sleeping, as is Ellen. I imagine the day's worn her out more than anyone else. Aesteal's been training the warriors ever since we got back. As for Diane, she's probably in one of the Draegnar brawling rings, making bastards lose both their coin and their teeth. Nz'ia continues to hunt in the deep hills and cliffs of the island. Bastard only knows how to fight let me tell you. Dunno where Naala is," she said, finishing while I nodded.
"Fine. Then come with me tonight. I find that I haven't had as much time with you as of late," I said.
My mother rolled her eyes. "Should I bring a fucking change of clothes?" she asked before she followed me inside.
Once I opened my door, I slowly shook my head when I saw Naala on my bed, seductively smiling at me. "I hoped to get the Captain all to myself, but I can play with a partner too," she said, a not so subtle smoothness in her voice.
I glanced back at my mother curiously. She quickly pleaded against the notion. "Don't fucking look at me. I wasn't told about this!" She exclaimed, making me smile before I fully entered my room with her behind me.
I slowly shook my head, spotting Nei on the table. She seemed to be interested in my quill, brushing it with her fingers. However, once I took a seat, her attention quickly left me. She flopped over to me eagerly. As she climbed into my open hand, I remembered that I indeed promised to reward her and her sister for their tender care of Aesteal last night. She blinked sexily at me, her lust evident.
"Not this night," I told both of them. Nei quickly frowned, slapping her fin on my hand upset at my worms. Naala laughed as she leaned up and slid her legs off my bed.
"I can't tell if this is a fucking tease or if this is punishment," she replied while I attempted to soothe Nei's worries. Thankfully, the fairmaid hadn't learned the wrathful vengeance of a denied woman just yet. She kissed my hand, revealing her wanton affections.
"It be neither. I've had to deal with a lotta shit today. Had it been earlier in the day, I would have attended to you all wonderfully. However, I'll need to test something out on the three of you. If I be right, then it'll more than likely lead to a pleasant time for all three of you," I said.
I watched Naala sit on my bed, a grin on her face. "Fuck, now you got me interested. So what was it that got you all tired out?" she asked.
I also spotted my mother leaning against the wall, waiting for my answer. I leaned back and placed my legs on my table. "I'd rather talk about it with everyone else here just to avoid the headache of telling the story twice. Long story short, Alteria's little war buddy is here on the island," I said.
Naala and my mother stiffened. "Are you shitting me?!" the former asked, her sexy brown body leaning up off my bed.
"He's here?!" she asked as I quickly nodded.
"Aye, shiny Hæňgaramian armor and all. He's apparently a client of Liara's. Must've been able to hold his surprise very well since I have no doubts he spotted her on my ship back on Hilvir," I said while my mother walked over to my table and sat her bountiful ass on it.
"What did he want?" she asked.
I shivered when I felt Nei slide into my shirt, resting her body against mine. "Turns out the bastard's trying to get enhancement owners to work with him and him alone. He's also been buying out all the materials for either enchanting or enhancing weapons or armor. I sure as hell don't know where he's getting the coin from, but he even made a promise to the Root to try and get all of it. Offered to pay me over a hundred pounds of crystallized ash as a sign of good faith that he be our only buyer," I said.
"A-A hundred?" Naala asked.
I nodded as I rested my arms on my neck. "Aye, but he didn't know it was me. Whatever the fuck he's doing he's very confident that he can take down Hæňgaram. I don't know what the bastard's got planned, but I see in his gaze that there is great confidence. His words show no lie," I returned, looking at the ceiling in thought.
"And you didn't try to kill him? He was right in front of you in the shop right? Surely, you could have popped his head like those guys from Callamum, right?" my mother asked as my eyes narrowed.
"...I tried. Didn't fucking work," I said, making the two widen their eyes.
"What do you mean 'it didn't work.' Please don't fucking tell me you lost your powers again!" Naala exclaimed with slight urgency and unease. My mother looked at me sternly.
Fortunately, I appeased their concerns with a wave of my hand. We heard the waves crash outside. "Ease your concerns, you fine lasses. I've not touched any moonstone. Trust me, I tried more than once to make him a headless fucker while we talked. Took all my fucking nerve to not be shocked at it. I don't know much about moonstones or the full extent of their abilities, but perhaps he was hiding one. Hell, maybe there's something about him I just can't deal with directly. Either way, if he dies... it ain't gonna be any water of my hand," I said next.
The room fell into a bit of silence, me shivering when I felt Nei cheekily licking one of my nipples. Aye, it was a surprise to me as well. When he first sat down, I tried to make the kill as quick as possible. Besides, even if I killed him no one would dare challenge Liara easily. Anyone would believe the fucker probably said something insulting to her which got his soul snatched away. It took my best poker face to not stare in shock when the water that flowed within his body refused to obey my command. It was easy. It should have just been a puncture through the heart. No complex shit about it.
Yet, the bastard still breathed. Over and over, I tried but... he wouldn't fall before me. As he blathered away into my ears, it was then that I realized I couldn't even sense the water within him at all. When I focused hard enough, I could sense the water within every living thing on Draegnar. From the birds in the air to the fish in the sea, and the people on land, I could make out them all. Admittedly, I don't do that shit too often. The amount of water was enough to drive even me mad.
Never had I encountered something like this before. All I could do was fall back on the conversation while I tried to keep the swirling tides that were my thoughts at ease. The longer I stayed in D'orn since my journey back to this life, the more confused I became. Why was all of this shit happening to me now when I'd never experienced it before? First Delverhold, now that noble bastard, it felt like the ship of my old life was being ridden on another sea by which I had no control over.
"Well, the guy can still catch a bullet between his eyes, right? Shouldn't be too hard," Naala answered. Unfortunately, neither my mother nor I shared the sentiment, even if it was true.
I noticed the deep frown on my mother's face. "Bastard's a high-ranking officer in one of the most powerful empires in the world. I doubt a bullet's gonna be enough to take him down," she replied and the confidence on Naala's face quickly fell. She sighed and leaned against the wall.
"Damn, you really got us in creek shit, Captain," my bronze gunner said, staring at the ceiling.
I chuckled and stared at their dejected expressions. "Alright, calm down. Ain't need for such a sullen mood. He might be untouchable for whatever reason, but his army ain't. Remember, I spent many a long night performing alchemy on you, mother. The same's gonna be done to Naala on the trip to Hæňgaram. We'll be more than a match for whatever forces the bastard has. I might be a greedy fucker when it comes to coin, but I ain't gonna give my enemies leverage that I can't counter," I replied.
My mother laughed. "Well, you got us fucking involved so I suppose we'll have no choice but to follow your lead. So, I've been meaning to ask, who finally managed to get that mangy troll's corpse? Let me tell you, I never thought I'd hear prices that high in my lifetime." she said, her eyes filled with anticipation of my answer.
I noticed Naala was interested as well, though not nearly to the same extent as my mother. "You'd be disappointed then. Neither of the final two have laid claim to the beast just yet. They've settled on a trial of combat. In three days, the two will bring forth a warrior to fight for it. The winner receives the prize and pays the price for the troll. Whoever gets it will earn both the trade deals with other nations, and their hostility as well. No one's gonna let a treasure like that go swiftly," I replied.
I reached into my shirt and pulled out Nei. The lass was getting a tad too frisky for my liking. She smiled at me as I held her up by her wings. "And that be enough out of you!" I said while she flashed her beautiful eyes at me. I tossed her back in her bowl and she responded by firing a sprayful of water magic at my face.
The fairmaid on my mother's shoulder laughed, or squeaked, as she slapped her tail up and down. I grabbed a towel and wiped my face off, Nei and her sisters having lightened our mood considerably.
"Stakes would be higher if they were surrounded by the Draegnar sharks that swim through the island. They'd probably receive a bountiful feast," she said which got a chuckle out of the room.
Nei quickly yawned and her mood became infectious. I turned to my mother and Naala. The latter chuckled. "I call the right side!" she exclaimed while my mother pinched the bridge of her nose. Damn, my words weren't even allowed to come out yet.
After a moment or two, my mother dropped Nei's sister into the bowl with her. Nei began licking her sister's cheek lovingly as they splashed around the water for a little while. In the meantime, our clothes were discarded and I turned out the light. As she desired, Naala was on my right and my mother was on my left. It was then that I realized I hadn't taken a bath since returning to the ship.
Thankfully, neither my mother nor Naala seemed to mind. In fact, they still turned over to me and rested their hands on my chest. My mother looked at me and grinned. She offered me a kiss which I accepted. Of course, a fucking pinch from Naala got her one as well. Once again, the sounds of Draegnar lulled us all to sleep.
"By the Stones of Hmenlin. I had assumed this place to not be so big, but it's enormous," Rieth said as the members of Raven's Shadow walked, Naala, my mother, and the fairmaids walked with me through the vast halls of Liara's shop.
Once we awoke, I'd gotten busy with planning my next few steps. I had one of the women of Hilvir make contact with Anastasia. The rest of the morning was spent training the others with Aesteal and Maeloson. I also took the time to find Nz'ia. I never thought I'd see him and Diane smashing their fucking skulls in on the other side of the island. This wasn't exactly what I meant when I said I'd find them both combat and battles suited to their tastes, but I knew there was no point in stopping them. Diane rarely got to fight as often as this and she'd have no other willing partner than the Xhaluter.
Ellen was already gone by the time I woke up, but I sensed her back at the Dead Tales so I left her to her business. I gathered the others present and brought them to the shop.
"Yeah, it's pretty impressive, but why are we here? Other than Rieth, Gurok, and maybe Racaell, none of us here would benefit from the likes of magic and sorcery," Brant said as they continued to follow me.
"Well, I probably could. You bastard sword-for-brains probably wouldn't cut it. Besides, I'd rather do whatever this is than spend 24 hours guarding a damn auction of important nobles and other rich people," Truon answered back before Daen punched him in the arm.
The group followed me before we came up to a large door. At the door stood Goron. "This place ain't just for those who wield the art of sorcery. There's much to gain for the two of you as well. Besides, I haven't begun proper alchemy on any of you. Members at the auction were already asking who felled the mighty beast. Face it, you lot ain't equipped to face the legendary, mighty, and mythical within D'orn yet. You still be a C-rank adventurer's group after all. While the magic you used when I kept Ỳrmïndle distracted was impressive, I hope you bastards don't think you're gonna have the luxury of hiding from every mythical beast that you encounter long enough to cast that spell of yours. Even then, it took more than the seven of you to complete it, with one of you going down for almost three weeks. I doubt you'll last long at that rate," I answered.
I turned back and saw sheepish looks on their faces. "Well, not when you speak of it in such a direct way as that," Hannath said while Naala laughed.
Goron, with his considerable strength, grabbed the large door handle and opened it. My mother and Naala widened their eyes when they saw the cave-like walls beyond the door. Everyone shivered when they heard the bellows of numerous beasts deep with the caves.
"By the Draegnar Shores of Slaughter, what is this?" Daen asked.
My lips curved upwards. "Rarely do adventurers get to properly train in a dungeon filled with deadly traps, beasts, and monsters. You'll be one of the lucky ones. You're only permitted to battle here. Every treasure that you see within is Liara's and I ain't about to pay her back for the shit she's crafted to make such a worthy dungeon. Here, you'll fight as you please, gaining any and all experience. Goron will stand by this door. When you wish to be released, then he'll open the door. I suggest you only do it if the danger is critical. This ain't a door that can be opened too often," I said.
"Wait, we're going in there?!" Truon asked.
"Aye, may the fates be with ye!" I said as I shoved the rogue through the door. Before the others could protest, I took control of them and walked them through the door. All of them cursed my name as Goron closed the door. Just before it fully closed, I heard a roar in the distance.
"Won't they get hungry or thirsty?" Naala asked.
I waved off her concerns. "They'll live. The dungeon will provide for them," I said as we walked away.
"So each one of these doors leads to a realm that the witch has ventured to? Fuck, why aren't we exploring some of them? There's gotta be good shit in them!" Naala said while I snorted.
"Aye, good shit and about a thousand ways to lose your fucking soul in the process. The line between an adventurous bastard and a suicidal one be a narrow one," I said.
Mother hummed. "Yeah, you made us skirt the fucking thing numerous times back on Delverhold. Is there any reason we weren't using this shit before?" my mother asked.
I smiled. "It'd be too easy for you. You wouldn't really gain anything. Besides, that's the strongest dungeon Liara has at this particular dwelling. Should our travels find us closer to the ones in other regions, then we'll make use of them," I said before I stood in front of another door.
"She ain't got some shit-fancy portals to the rest of her... shops?" My mother asked.
"She enjoys the travel," I said before I took in the next door. Unlike the previous one which was made out of strong wood and iron bars, this one was made of a sharp steel. A bright blue jewel hung on its head, glowing brightly even amongst the more lavious doors that lined this almost infinite corridor. Nei perked up her nose and jumped on my head excitedly.
"What the hell's gotten into them?" My mother asked as she noticed Nei's sister jumping up and down with joy as well.
I opened the door and my mother and Naala stared into a grassy field with a very loud and grand waterfall. All the land was gorgeous to gaze upon. One could easily mistake this for an Isle of Delverhold if they saw it. However, as expected, even Liara's grand realm wasn't up to the par with Delverhold. "What the fucking shit am I looking at?!" Naala asked in shock as she grabbed the walls of the door and stuck her head inside.
"This ain't no place on D'orn. It's a realm Liara entirely created in her own time. Ain't nothing here except some orb mimicking the sun and a small island around us. Supposedly, she was researching and created this realm from the tidbits of knowledge she'd garnered over centuries of looking into Delverhold. As far as I be aware, this is the only strip of land in this entire created realm of hers," I said.
We all heard squealing. Nei and her sister dashed out and jumped into the pond of water beneath the falls. It didn't take them long to start swimming away through the watery depths. "You brought us here for a swim?" Naala asked, a little letdown. It didn't take me long to see why. Ever since last night, her lust had been simmering around her form, like a tiny flame of a camper's fire pit.
Even my mother didn't seem particularly fond of the idea. "You two be pirates and you can't even stand to get your fucking bodies wet? Clearly, I recruited the wrong two lasses!" I said before I slowly exhaled.
Naala gasped when I cupped her brown chin. "Have some faith in me. This shit is much safer than Draegnar's waters," I said before I got undressed. I threw my clothes to the side, my mother and my black beauty eyeing me like I was the greatest treasure they'd ever seen. In fact, it didn't take long for their eyes to travel down to my cock.
I quickly jumped through the door and landed on the grass, a calming breeze in my long hair. Fuck, I'd have to snip off most of this shit when I had the chance.
I turned around and noticed the two sexy lasses in my company stripping themselves of their garments. Aye, a beautiful contrast of white and dark chocolate. I wished to feast on them both and my lust made itself apparent. I could feel it already seeping into my body, and filling me with energy.
Soon both joined me in the grass as well, their naked bodies a feast for the eyes before they resurfaced. Naala stared at the heavy waters flowing down while my mother scanned the forests. "Don't go too far. This be the only piece of land and water that you'll ever encounter here.
"We're floating on nothing?" My mother asked.
"Aye."
Neither said anything, but I took note of their nervousness. "Worry not. You two be in safe hands. Now, we didn't come here just to play around in the water. I promise Nei and her sister a reward for helping me tend to Aesteal. There was one an old saying that work and pleasure are best done separately. However, we're about to blur that line. For that, I've brought us here," I said when they turned around to look at me.
I wasn't even ashamed to say my cock slowly started to rise just from looking at them both. They were quick to take notice. Naala licked her lips. "Mmmm, I'm never one to disrespect the chain of command," she said before I raised my hand.
"Don't get excited yet. This is as much training for me as it is pleasure for the both of you. I ain't gonna lie. Clearly the essence of Vilinlith has proven more troublesome than I thought. I have great difficulty controlling it and I saw one of its ruthless effects upon Aesteal. As expected of the Mother of all Succubi, this was definitely not something to be messed with casually. As for you two, well I don't need your lust potentially seeping into anyone or anything else. It's just the five of us here. You two can be as loud as you wish," I said.
Though my mother seemed intrigued, her lust only rose a little at the prospect. Naala on the other hand, hers was a nigh campfire surrounding her body. Naturally, my body started absorbing her lust piece by piece. I already felt thrilled at the prospect of delighting in their pleasure. My cock sure seemed to think so.
"S-So what do we do then?" Naala asked before I grabbed her hand. She gasped when I pulled her to the pond just a few feet from the falls of water.
"Enjoy me partaking of you both," I said as I kissed my black queen's lips. Naala swooned in delight, her lust quickly exploding around the two of us. We kissed softly, my lips hungrily pushing against hers.
"Mmmm!" Naala groaned, throwing her brown arms around my neck. Her fingers moved through my hair, tickling my scalp and caressing my cheek. Her lithe body brushed up against mine. She wasted no time turning into a playful little minx in my embrace. Her bountiful lips sucked on my tongue, her hands gently moving from my neck to my cheeks and down to my chest. Meanwhile, mine roamed up and down her back with one holding her head and the other pulling her closer to me.
"Nnnngh! Fuck yes. I was fucking wondering when it'd be my turn again with the Captain. Especially with this hard sidearm you're wielding! Mmmmngh... it's so hot against my stomach," she said, panted between our kisses. She then rubbed her body up and down, massaging my cock from crown to base. She lifted her left leg and brushed her thigh against my dick. I continued to hold her, giving her the confidence to continue her movements.
As difficult as it was, I tried not to lose myself in the act. There was a point to this and I desired to stick to it. As Naala and I swapped spit, I slowly opened my eyes and saw the dark purple lustful aura around her seeping into my body. When I observed it, biting her lip while doing so, I noticed the aura never seemed to do anything. It was just there, almost as if it was desiring to be used in some way.
As Naala and I continued our embrace, I toyed with the aura for a little while, trying to do anything with it that I thought might be useful. I thought I could use it as some form of attack, but it didn't work on the trees of the island. It seemed to affect nothing around us and I finally thought I must have been doing something wrong.
However, I quickly got an idea when I saw my mother off to the side. Though trying to maintain some semblance of self-control, she brushed her legs together while shivering in the grass. Her little nipples on her breasts were pointed out like pristine daggers. Her face tried to hide it, but she was clearly aroused. I saw the same aura circulating around her as well, growing ever so slightly with each passing minute. I also noticed the purple aura between Naala and I almost... reaching out to connect with my mother's.
In a moment of clarity, I swiped my hand through Naala's body one more time, making her shiver. I held my hand in the air and focused. To my surprise, the lustful energy soon responded to my will and gathered in the palm of my open hand. I groaned, struggling to focus as Naala suckled on my neck while her fingers wrapped around my cock. "Ngh... Mmmmngh... oooooh! S-So hard and hot!" she whispered in my ears as her lust got stronger.
WIth great endurance, I turned back to the lust in my open palm. It quickly began swirling around like an orb, waiting to be perfectly formed. Instead of doing that, I turned to my mother. Clearly, this didn't work on non-living things, but...
With a flick of my hand, I threw the orb at my mother. Despite its weight, she didn't seem to notice it. That led me to believe this couldn't be seen by normal eyes. It'd make sense that I could see it since I was bathed in the stuff back on Draegnar.
"NNNNNNNNNNNGH!" My mother groaned, making Naala stop stroking me. The two of us watched as my mother came, her legs buckling as a torrent of female juice exploded from her. The orb of lust I'd thrown at her connected and she was covered instantly in the combined ecstasy between Naala and I. She dropped to her knees and twitched in the grass, her eyes filled with bliss.
A thousand thoughts ran through my mind and I grinned when I finally began to understand what it was this was about. Just like a succubus, a demoness and wielder of lust, I could control the lust of others and direct it if need be. Of course, I was sure this wasn't all, but this was a great find, greater than even I'd planned.
"What happened?" Naala asked before I cupped her chin and turned her back to me. Her eyes widened when my kisses became even stronger than before. WIth my strong arms, I picked her up. She sighed in my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. My cock and her cunt were mere inches away from being locked together. Her sticky insides brushed my hardened tool, quivering and shivering.
"Mmmmmmngh... f-fuck me! Put your cock inside me!" she exclaimed, her breasts pushing against my chest. I didn't oblige her request. I just kept rubbing the length of my cock along her folds, splitting them apart if only slightly. Our pelvises made funny noises while her lips latched onto mine.
"P-Please! Oh my god! I fucking want it!" she said fervently. However, she wouldn't find relief so easily. I was too busy testing the limits of this ability I'd gotten since Delverhold. Not only could I transfer the lust between my mother, Naala, and myself, I could also completely take it away in one fell swoop. So long as it passed through me, I could do with the lust what I wanted. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why the succubi desired such a strong intimacy to gain power. Semen and lust were their food and their energy. While I wouldn't be collecting semen, the lust was a great catalyst for my power.
As Naala and I humped each other, both of us brimming with great need. I continued to test the lust aura around us. I noticed when I took it all away from my mother, she was much calmer, huffing and groaning like she'd just experienced the afterglow of sex. I then threw another orb at her and she was right back in the heat of it. "Mmmmmmnnnn! F-Fuck! Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! W-Why is it so hot?!" she asked as she vigorously rubbed her pussy and groped her chest.
With Naala in my arms, I slowly walked us into the pond. The water wasn't cold. It was just as hot and pleasant as our bodies were. "Mother, come here," I said.
It didn't take her long to follow my order. She dropped into the water with us. "W-What the fuck's going on? Everything feel s-s-so hot!' she said, huffing like she'd just crossed the whole of Draegnar in one day.
"Aye, it does. Cause you're a beautiful slut, mother. My slut," I said as I kissed her. She didn't bother retorting. She just threw her arms around me, kissing me with equal enthusiasm. However, I then felt my cock smothered in the warm, clenching walls of Naala's pussy.
"Gnnnnnnngh! Oh fuck yes! F-Finally! I've wanted this thing inside me ever since we landed on the island. I couldn't wait! Just fucking pound me with it!" she said as she started bouncing in the water. Somehow, I was able to coat my cock with the lust aura that spread itself through Naala's pussy. It seemed to add a protective layer from the water itself which kept us moving and our bodies connected without issue.
Sweat poured down Naala's face while I lapped at my mother's breasts. "Nnnngh! Yes, eric! Suck my tits! Fuck, this is the only time I'd enjoy your tongue and cheek!" my mother praised before I bit on her nipple for the remark. However, that seemed to get her cunt flaring all the while.
"Oooooh fuck! You two are so nasty! It's so sexy! The Captain must really like his mother's tits cause his cock keeps... nnnnngh... getting harder inside me!" Naala commented when I grabbed her hips and shoved her helpless body down, burying my cock deep in her walls. Every stimulating nook and curve massaged my fleshly pole. My fingers dug into her ass and she wailed like the greatest siren.
"Oooooooh yes! Oh fuck, this is a strong cock! Fuck me, Captain! Fuck me hard! Nnnnngh! Oh, gods, I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna cum on your hard cock!" My black gunner proclaimed as her legs wrapped around my waist. Her breasts pressed hard against my chest while my mother and I kissed.
However, before Naala could reach her orgasm, my mother felt something like her ass and my balls. Before we could even hazard a guess, two beautiful mermaids with the wings of fairies popped out of the water. As no one other than Liara had been in this realm, I knew this had to be Nei and her sister. However... they were completely different. They'd grown at least five times in size, coming close to the human-size. Their wings were notably much bigger and so were their tails. Both slapped the waters of the pond happily.
I could only look on in shock. The same purple aura that surrounded the three of us was surrounding them as well. It was then that I remembered that, like me, Nei and her four sisters had swam in the essence of VIlinlith as well. They were just as capable of doing what I did as well. Still, I'd had sex around them before and they hadn't grown to this size.
Could it have been this realm? It was possible. I'd never seen mythical creatures like them before so I wasn't sure what to make of their transformation. Yet, my eyes were drawn to Nei's tits, just like when she was a small, they were big and bountiful.
"How the fuck did they get so big?!" Naala asked, her cunt still stroking my cock.
"Better yet, are they gonna return to normal? We don't have the space for them if they stay that size," my mother said, while Nei wasted no time swimming towards me. Just like me, the smirk on her face promised trouble. She seemed aware of her increased size and took advantage of it by kissing me, her wings fluttering wildly.
"What the... ooooooooh fuck!" Naala said, her lust suddenly exploding. Her delectable pussy coiled around my cock, rubbing the crown and its length like she was trying to choke me to death. As Nei devoured my mouth, her kiss a little wild and untamed, I noticed her sister's shadow beneath the pond. Clearly, the fairmaid was doing something pleasing to Naala.
"Oooooooh... ooooh fuck! Her tongue's deep in my fucking ass! S-Shit! Dammit, why does that feel so good?!" Naala wailed, unable to control herself as she rocked her hips back on my cock.
It seemed I would have to answer these questions later. Nei and her sister quickly drew on the lust from the rest of us. Her young female upper body pressed against mine while her fingers rubbed my chest. Her breasts enveloped my arm while I felt my mother lick one of my nipples. I hissed with great need, feeling my lasses' tongues, cunts, and hands working over me.
Nei's lips were a little sloppy and uncoordinated, but I took one of my hands off Naala's ass and held Nei's face. I guided her slowly, her tongue grinding against mine. With the waterfall in our ears, the five of us threw ourselves to our passions.
I dropped Naala in the water, and she panted. "Mmmmmngh! I miss the fucking thing already!" she said before Nei and her sister swam over to my erection. They looked at it curiously for only a moment before her sister immediately sucked me all the way to the back of her throat. Nei swam beneath the pond and touched my sacks of cum. She then grabbed her sister's head and forced her to take more of me.
The vibrations were fucking otherworldly. Their fins slapped in the water, but Nei continued to control her sister's movements with her hand on her head. It was then that I decided that no better name could come to Nei's sister than...
"Lei!" I groaned as Nei licked her lips. I couldn't even properly moan further because my mother kissed me, our lust surging forward. Our lips smacked apart and I saw her confident gaze.
"You're a sinful bastard to have so many sluts pining over your cock, Eric. How does her throat feel? Look at her eyes, they beg for your cum," my mother said and that was all it took to wring the cum out of my cock and into Lei's waiting mouth. I watched her cheeks bulge for a moment, me using my powers to pull out a few extra ropes.
Lei surfaced, everyone seeing the aftermath. However, before she could swallow my thick load, Nei grabbed Lei's face and kissed her. The two of them swapped my cum in their mouths, kissing and caressing each other's wet body. Such a sight already got me hard. Without warning, my mother gasped when I grabbed her and pinned her against the pond's wall. I lodged myself in her cunt. "Mmmmmmmngh! Y-You fucking fucker!" she said as lifted her legs and wrapped them around me.
I fucked my mother with haste and need, the lustful aura quickly flowing through all of us in more ways that I could fathom. "Mmmm fuck that's hot! I bet that bitch Aphrodite ain't got nothing on the two of you!" Naala said before she leaned forward and licked my mother's right nipple.
It didn't take long for her left to be occupied as well. Lei gently bit her tit, swirling her tongue as my mother's pussy strangled my mast in her embrace. "Oh Fuck! Oh shit yeah! Fuck yeah! Uhhmmmmm!" she cried, drenching my cock with her juice. Nevertheless, I kept thrusting my hips, her eyes were glossy and her lips bit to try and stifle her ever-rising lust.
However, I couldn't hold my second orgasm when Nei came up behind me and licked my earlobe. The sensation was so smooth I came before I could stop myself. My hips locked and my body trembled. My mother threw her head back. "OooooOooooh fuck!" she wailed, cumming again in perfect unison with me.
With the lust in the air, I recognized another sensation. The lust had connected all of our senses together. Nei screamed in sheer bliss along with Lei and Naala. All five of us, with the essence of Vilinlith as our anchor, achieved one powerful orgasm at the same time. When we all came down, I staggered back, a load of my cum sleeping out of my mother's cunt and into the pond.
"Oh shit. What was that? T-That was... uuunmph... amazing!" Naala said, panting away before I turned to Nei. Perhaps for the very first time, I saw her true beauty as a proper woman. She took note of my gaze and licked her lips. She sank into the pond and covered my cock in her wonderful mounds. Her eyes stared at me and I stared back.
At that moment, I saw strange rune-like symbols etch onto her face. We continued to stare at each other. I felt suddenly very warm, the richness of mana rushing through every pore in my body. "Hmmmmmmmn!" Nei hummed and I heard her song through the depths of my mind. She continued to pleasure me with her tits, rubbing the pillows evenly over my shaft before I exploded again, covering her face with my seed. She licked her lips and smiled.
"Do... again!" I heard in my mind in shock. I looked down and saw Nei slap the water happily, her tongue swiping my semen into her mouth. I stood stunned. Nei had finally bonded with me just as Aesteal's fairmaid had done with her.
My fairmaid bonded with me... through fucking sex. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say.
Luckily, I didn't have to say anything. Lei came up behind me and kissed me before Nei gobbled on my cock again. The flames of lust were quickly reignited. I pulled Nei into my arms and grabbed her tits. She wailed and screamed, humping her lower half against my skin. I wouldn't call myself a liar this day, her scales felt very stimulating to my erection. She also seemed to enjoy it because her face was as crimson as a shade of women's lipstick. "Nnnnngh m-more!" she pleaded in the confines of my mind. I felt her body vigorously rub against mine with such need that she squealed in delight when I lodged into something hot, wet, and tight.
"MmMMMMmMmmngh!" she quivered, holding me in her arms and I knew my cock had found the slit of her pussy. I supposed I shouldn't be surprised that she had one, but... she'd always been a small woman. She stared at me and I stared at her. Wordlessly, I drew my hips back and slammed them back in. Her body trembled greatly. I did it again and her slimy walls, drenched in rich juice, clamped on me refusing to let me go.
"Aren't you fairy girls supposed to be pure? When did you become such a nymph?" I asked. She didn't respond, but she did grin at me. She caressed my hair, almost mimicking what Naala or my mother would do. I drove into her and she welcomed my advances. My mouth latched onto her nipples, rewarding her for her performance last night. Nei screeched and squealed, mesmerizing the crowd behind us while I pistoned in and out of her like a madman.
"Hnnnnnnnngh!"
"Yaaaaauuugnh!"
"Knaaaaaaanhhaaa!"
She roared and roared, our lust almost doubling together since our bonding. "Ooooh fucking god! That's so hot!" Naala exclaimed before she grabbed Lei and kissed her fervently. Lei welcomed her advances, already having enjoyed the company of her own sisters.
Meanwhile, the lust around Nei and I was a tidal wave of fierce emotions. She clung hard to me, Her body instinctively humping mine while I bucked and ravaged hers with my own. I grabbed her mermaid ass and drove myself forward, her body satisfying me in such a way that I enjoyed so damn well. My eyes rolled into the back of my head while her tongue hung out. "M-Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate!" she repeated over and over within my head. Her voice was a song of passion that moved my salty heart to perform for her.
My flesh rod fucked her, pierced her, and rubbed her curves, each of them bending to accommodate my shape in her slit. Slowly, Nei and I sank below the water. She kissed me so hard, the side of my mouth bled. Her vice-like snatch coiled around my cock, but I tried to keep thrusting away. Her flexible body moved us through the pond as my cock hardened. My brain fired off a thousand rounds of intense, undeniable pleasure through the corners of my body. Our mouths filled with water, Nei screamed into me and I roared like a fucking animal, taking ownership of her inside with my cock. No corner of her pussy was left unstained by my cum when we resurfaced to hear Lei howling an orgasm of her own from Naala's appreciations.
Admiring their pleasure in one another, I saw my mother pop up in front of me. She uttered two words.
"My turn."
The pond became a proverbial den of lust and ecstasy. "Ooooooh fuck yeah! Stuff that strong, thick cock inside me, Captain! G-Goooooods fuck!" my gunner screamed out as my cock did just that, driving and pounding into her making the waters of the pond thrash around violently.
"Quit talking and use your tongue for something better!" my mother said as she grabbed Naala's head and shoved her into her cunt.
"Mmmm, yes Captain's Mother!" Naala returned as she grabbed My mother's legs and lapped at her pussy, striking her clit over and over while I fucked her from behind. Nei and Lei were on my mother's tits suckling away like newborn babes, but one could hardly call them that with the blissful way they tended to her. Lei descended her hands down to my mother's clit and vigorously rubbed it, setting off another orgasm from my mother. That orgams ripped through the rest of us with me firing shot after shot, painting the walls of my gunner's sleek cavern white.
When I slowly pulled out, Nei and Lei hopped on my fucking cock like two hungry hyenas. Taking a side of it for themselves, their tongues lapped up the juices between Naala and myself until I was clean. My mother quickly took over the crown of my cock kneeled between the two of them. Meanwhile, my ebony gunner stood behind me, whispering ego-boosting words into my ears about the three beauties in front of me. The lust exploded from within me and I leaned my head back, firing a spray of cum on my mother's face along with Nei and Lei.
"Mmmmm, thicker than any cream in a morning's coffee mug. A bitch could get used to this," my mother said while Nei and Lei licked my cum off her face. Somehow, I wondered if the essence of Vilinlith had made my cum a bit tastier to the opposite sex. While my mother and the other lasses in my life never had any problems taking my load before, they never went about it as... aggressively as now.
Thoroughly drained, the lustful aura settled from an inferno into a kindling flame. The five of us sighed, floating in the water. Nei leaned against me clearly exhausted just like the rest of us. When I looked at her, I wondered how I was going to make space in the ship if she was going to stay the size she was now. Her and Lei were clearly too big for the bowl back in my quarters.
As I pondered my predicament, I heard Nei's voice suddenly fill my mind. "Not... worry!" she claimed. I turned to her and I noticed she had already turned back to her small stature, her smiling while resting on my chest. She looked back at me happily.
I turned my head back to the pond and noticed Lei swimming in it, herself just as small as Nei.
When I saw this I noticed that the lustful aura around them had decreased immensely. Realization flooded the depths of my mind. "Fucking shapeshifting magic," I said to myself with a laugh.
Now, I understood at least some measure to the essence of Vilinlith. As one might expect of the Mother of all Succubi, and the nature of these powerful demons of passion, this was one of the ways they used their strength. Feeding off the inner passions, fears, and arousal of their victims, the succubi could do almost anything to their victims. I'd raised Aesteal's lust to such a degree without properly taking care of her that it'd almost be like torture. That was what fed me such great power and what sickened her to the point of falling over. Now I properly understood just why Succubi enjoyed tormenting their victims so mightily. Fucking bitches could even shapeshift in their victim's ideal fantasy. I imagined the lust gained from torturing or pleasuring someone from their fantasy was almost double its usual intensity.
I thought of that succubus that I met back on Delverhold. Indeed, she seemed to revel in the debauchery and passion between Ellen and I, especially since Ellen hadn't received any pleasure from my actions back when she was angry with me. Now I understood just how tantalizing that lust must have been to a succubus who hadn't known its touch for so many years. If Nei and Lei could do it, then there was no doubt that the other three could as well. Clearly, I'd picked up a poisonous treasure.
"Fuck, that felt good," Naala said as she floated to the pond's edge while my mother hummed.
"I at least hope you got something out of this instead of just stuffing us with your cock. Did you?" she asked.
My smile widened. "Aye. More than I'd thought actually. It's just a matter of mastering it and making it work for me rather than against me," I replied as I brushed a piece of my mother's hair. Meanwhile, Lei climbed on top of Naala as we all stretched.
We basked in the afterglow of the great sex we all had before I decided that we best no spend more time here. Despite how nice the sound of the waterfall was, this wasn't such a magnificent place as to stay in it for prolonged periods.
We grabbed our clothes, got dressed, and left the realm. Goron was there to greet us when we got out, rolling his eyes when he saw our disheveled, yet pleased faces. "Enjoy yourselves?" he asked.
"Hell yeah we did!" Naala exclaimed before she stretched her arms. "And now that we're done, I've got some orders that I hope are finished before we set sail. Something tells me that's gotta be done before our captain throws us back into another fucking shitstorm!"
With a rub of her finger on my shoulder, the ebony lass who, quite literally, shot herself into my life left with Goron to guide her back. I decided to head back to the door I'd thrown the members of Raven's Shadow in. After a brief check, I knew they were all alive and well. Each of them seemed to be fighting valiantly behind the door, sweating and bleeding against the mighty foes beyond.
My mother, Nei, Lei, and I exited the Root. I noticed Pete giving me a knowing glare, but he still kept his nose out of my business. He always sat there, cigar in hand, trying to sell his crappy wares. I wondered just how many fuckers Pete's kiled with his ruined krill and deformed fish. The smell alone would make any foreigner marvel that this island hadn't become a haunted land.
My mother left me, claiming she'd head to the ship. While Ellen wasn't around, she'd focus on taking stock of the rest of our provisions. I didn't think there had to be a concern with such a thing. The inventory from my first ship and the Callamum ship should have been more than enough, but if she desired to do it then I wasn't gonna complain. In fact, speaking of my newest ship, I'd have to start christening it at some point. It wouldn't do well for me to draw more ire from Callamum than I had already.
Nei and Lei settled in my pouches, taking in the sights around them while I made my way toward The Dead Tales tavern. As always it was fucking boisterious to all hell, the sounds of loud music and drunken men stirred the walls. Foreigners and locals laughed together as barmaids swung through the crowds and served the guests stuffed pig with potatoes, or fattened lamb's skin with roasted sea pickle.
I could practically feel the eyes of the fairmaids sparkling in wonder, but I made sure they were well-hidden. I'd rather not decrease the population of Delverhold so severely just to keep them safe. Luckily for the patrons, no one seemed to notice them.
The workers of the tavern saw me and quickly stepped out of the way as I walked up the stairs. After a moment or two, I saw two men carrying away the body of a man that had been shot. Curious, I made it to Ellen's door and heard her speak.
"You're really fucking more trouble than you're worth! You're lucky I don't turn you into fishbread!" my temperamental quartermaster said from behind the door.
I opened it and saw Ellen snarling as the third of Nei's sisters played on Ellen's table, the latter frowning as she wiped off her gun. She then noticed me and grabbed the fairmaid by her wings. "And you, take this walking piece of misfortune away from me!" she said. I couldn't tell if she was asking, demanding, or begging. Either way, the fairmaid seemed happy to see her fellow sisters and I quickly became a carriage ride for the tiny mythical ladies. The three squealed happily at each other. Lei seemed to take special care in kissing the other fairmaid, which the latter definitely didn't seem perturbed by. I walked over to Ellen's desk and leaned forward.
"And what could such a tiny thing do to cause a fierce lass such anger and angst?" I asked as Ellen scowled, hiking one of her beautiful and long legs over the other.
"She's a troublemaker, one fit to rival even you. I was in the middle of an important business deal with a client. She clearly sought to amuse herself by jumping out of my pocket and into the table, snatching some of the food from my plate. Can you fucking guess what happened next?" she asked.
I certainly had an idea. "Your client's eyes looked like your own when we counted our treasures from the Sea of Greed?" I asked.
She glared at me before she leaned forward. "Among other things! Now I got a bastard trying to bargain with me for her. Told the dumbass she wasn't for sale. As you can see, he clearly didn't like the offer. So I made him a better one! One I think you owe me for," she replied.
My lips curved upwards and I nodded. "Alright, then what do you want?" I asked.
Ellen stared at me for a moment before she finally sighed. "I'll be sure to fucking let you know," she answered while I nodded. I then took a seat next to her.
"Ellen, have any Hæňgaram clients come to speak with you yet?"
"Other than the female knight's asshat of a traitor, I haven't had the privilege of any of their company. I'll count my good fortune too. They can rarely keep their opinions to themselves with how I conduct my business," she said.
I quickly grabbed a piece of paper. "When Zevmar makes his little war on Hæňgaram known, I want you to be one of the ones supplying them weapons. Worry not about the cost, we'll make it back," I answered.
She frowned. "We damn well better. I ain't got the manpower to be sending off into battleworn fields trying to pick the dead of the shit they won't use anymore."
I signed off on another paper and nodded. "You won't need to. Believe me, we'll make more than our fair share, especially with Anastasia aiding as well," I remarked.
Ellen snorted. "I'm guessing you're not having the cunt fuck over half the cocks of the Hæňgaram army. I'd fucking bet that she would too," she said before she stiffened. She looked at me and my grin widened.
"Aye, a bet you seek, fair lass?" I asked before I felt the barrel of her gun at my chin. She looked at me sternly.
"I might be a fucking bitch with her mind filled up on coin, but I ain't stupid enough to get into any more bets with the likes of you! I'd sooner drown myself in a mage's cauldron of hot oil than risk anything your mind might come up with. Any bets you have, leave me the fuck outta them!" she exclaimed as I looked at her with amused inquisitiveness.
I nodded. "Very well, but I'll never forget that indeed you love me despite yourself," I replied.
She stared back at me. "Yeah, I love you like a fucking migraine," she said, shivering when I kissed her cheek. As usual, all I got was a huff and growl for my efforts.
Ellen and I continued to work through the rest of the day until we went back to the ship together. That was where I spent the next three days, waiting for the battle between the two empires that would decide the fate of the moment of D'orn. Most of my time was spent in my room. With the supplies I had available, I continued to work alchemy and sew runes for Maeloson, Naala, my mother, Ellen, Diane, Nz'ia, and Aesteal. My room was a fucking plethora of magical activity.
I even worked on Nei and her sisters a little. Of course, this was hard given how small they were, especially with the fact that they just wouldn't hold still! They were like little children too eager to explore in their adulthood. Throughout this time, An'raie and I didn't speak too much. I wondered if I'd done something to upset her, but I wasn't under any illusions that she enjoyed my presence more than necessary. She'd spent most of her time in the Root, reading all of Liara's knowledge that was available to her. I sure didn't see any reason to stop her.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of my struggles. My work kept me busy until very late. I did some half-hearted study into my rapier, hoping to meld the fire and ice magics together, but it was a pointless endeavor. Instead, I focused my efforts on a more grueling task.
I started performing the necessary alchemy on my leftover warriors from Hilvir. Given that I had about forty to fifty of them left over, this took more time than I enjoyed. Plus, the alchemic ways quickly began to run through my materials, especially since I had a few failed attempts along the way. I loathed that I couldn't get through all of them, only about twenty or so. I was tired and my mana was drained thoroughly. I wasn't even sure when I fell asleep, but it wasn't long enough.
I felt a blow to my arm and opened my eyes. Diane towered over me. "Long night?" she asked.
I leaned up and noticed I'd fallen asleep on my desk. "Certainly not a pleasurable one. What is it?" I asked.
"They're about to fight over the troll's body. Figured you'd want to be awake for it," she said as I yawned, rubbing my tired eyes.
"Aye. I'll be up soon," I replied. SHe patted my shoulder and left my room. I stretched and quickly got dressed. I noticed Nei and the rest of her sisters still sleeping. I opened the window just above their heads. If they wanted, then they could jump out into the sea for their own amusement.
I poured some water on my face and grabbed my coat. When I stepped out onto the deck, I noticed my entourage waiting for me. "Glad you finally joined us. I'm in the mood to watch someone get the shit kicked outta them!" Ellen said.
"For once, we'll agree on that one," Diane replied.
I yawned once more before I ordered the others to follow me. I wished those bastards wouldn't have their bout so early in the morning. However, I surmised that they'd want it over and done with so they could collect their prize before any of the other competitors learned about it.
We ventured towards the side of the island, its dizzying curves and dangerous cliffs revealing the jagged rocks below. The waves crashed against the shoreline as we continued along our pathway. I took us through a cave that led down to the lower levels of the island. Those that try to hide away from their debt collectors or for storing their riches end up in caves like this sometimes.
When we made it to the bottom, I noticed a large neutral ship allowing spectators onboard. "You'd almost think we were seeing a play instead of a battle," Maeloson said as we observed the hundreds of people standing on the deck of the ship.
"The two are quite similar if one looked at them with a discerning eye," Aesteal replied.
My mother rolled her neck, and rubbed her auburn hair. "Best one of them get their fancy footwork in if the other pulls a gun on them. That'll get them dancing real quick," she said next before we were let onto the ship. Some of those present moved out of the way when they saw Ellen with us, none wishing to incur her wrath. A few men and women laid their eyes on me, a few of them with a hunger for gold.
I supposed I shouldn't have forgotten my bounty. It be the mark of my beginning legacy as a pirate.
I leaned against the wooden railing, staring out into the open sea while my mother leaned forward next to me. Ellen and Diane stared out while Aesteal grabbed my shoulder. Naala hopped over the wooden railing and sat on it, swinging her legs with a smile while Maeloson stood next to her.
All of us took note of the two large ships, one covered in pristine white and blue and the other covered in dark red wooden and gold embroidery. A tinier ship was connected between the two by iron chains. The symbols of Hæňgaram and Sairan flew strongly upon their respective ships.
The armies of Hæňgaram came forth, standing on one ship. The army of Sairan came on the other vessel. Since the sun was close to rising, we got a good look at them all. As expected, the Hæňgaram ship was filled with human men, beastmen, and women of nearly every accepted race. The Sairan army was filled with men and beastmen, not a single woman to be found among them.
Ellen quickly distinguished herself among the people of the viewing ship. She raised her right hand. The Sairan army lowered one of the rowboats. A large man decked in Sairan armor was inside along with at least ten male slaves, each of them with only a cloth around their pelvises to preserve their dignity. They rowed him towards what would be his battlefield.
Once he was boat, his armor gleamed in the sun, red like the blood of the thousand enemies he'd no doubt slain.
Ellen raised her left hand. Hæňgaram released their roatboat as well. My eyes narrowed when I saw a woman, her outfit very atypical of what one would associate with Hæňgaram. Unlike their white and bright colors, hers were black, almost eerily so. Her ears reminded me of Aesteal's, long and narrow. However, that was where the similarities ended. Her skin was like that of a blue rose, or maybe even light purple. Her mouth was covered by a cloak and darkness seemed to stick to her like a second armor.
When she opened her eyes, I saw the crimson red within them. She was unlike any elf I'd ever seen before. I first thought she might be a dark elf, but their skin is not such a color. Theirs was much pale, like the moon covered in gray clouds. Her hair was even lighter than her skin, almost like Alteria's hair which gave her a rather... spirit-like look. If Hæňgaram was in the business of summoning the dead, I might take her for one. I could even feel An'raie's intrigue stir from within me.
When her vessel brought her to the boat, she stepped on it. I caught a glimpse of her attire. Daggers, all of them in holsters around her delicate looking frame. Her cloak flapped in the breeze of the warm sea air as she faced the opponent before her. I felt Aesteal grip my shoulder. When I looked at her, her eyes were steeled at the Hæňgaram warrior, seeking to never take them off the woman. Even Maeloson, the man who cared little for the outcomes around him glared with great intrigue.
As for myself, I felt the ominous magic circulating around this woman. I even noticed that despite her being their representative, most if all of the Hæňgaram soldiers were looking at her with disgust or anger on their faces.
Ellen glanced at me and I nodded. She turned her head to the auctioneer. He held up the scroll containing the contents of the Ỳrmïndle's sliced up corpse. Ellen signaled for the fight to begin as a man off to the side fired a gunshot into the air. The battle began.