“And this is supposed to help us?” The king sighed tiredly, his eyes closed, and he looked older at that moment. “One seven-year-old water mage?”
“What if I were to offer you assistance with your homeless child population?” Both the Zephyth royals eyed Maebe with suspicion. “If you will allow me to summon my people, we will offer them homes, love, and strength. Your streets will be cleaner, your child crime and death rates will plummet, and in return, I will offer you an alliance.”
“What do you gain?” The queen eyed Maebe further. I helped Villeroa up onto the floor above us. Zygnal popped up as well.
“Followers, power, and being able to know those children are taken care of,” I answered for her. “Her decision in this was influenced by me.”
I had offered her a chance to appear callous and cold to protect her reputation. Hopefully, she took it.
“I would allow those who wish to return to your service to do so stronger and as capable warriors and mages.” Maebe smiled. “You will have to promise them something to return to, mind you, but I give you my word that if you agree to this, I will see them returned to you.”
“And what will you do in the meantime while we are still defenseless?” King Abioye waved toward the table of cooling food.
We joined our hosts at the table while I racked my brain on how we could do this. The Fae wouldn’t be able to come here and survive with all the iron. And then the Unseelie would be at risk without fighters there.
“What if we were to give you exclusive rights to the Braves of the Thorn as mercenaries purely for defense of the city?” Manly picked up a little finger sandwich to look it over. “Provided, we would need to discuss a retainer, then pay, but we would give you a discount on account of our support of this goal, and your people.”
Nick also slapped the table excitedly. “Me family too! They been wantin’ to travel and branch out from the groves. If ye promise ‘em a wee bit o’ land, ye could have a mess o’ druids willin’ to help yer kinfolk. Maybe take on apprentices if they find any what can?”
The king and queen looked at each other with uncertainty, Villeroa surprising them by saying, “Mother, father, please do this.”
They looked to her in confusion, the king responding first, “Sweet child, this is much to think over. Lives are at stake with this.”
“Lives are at stake anyway!” She whined. “I’ve seen them, Renald showed me! They need help.”
The Chareen’s gaze shot to Sir Renald, who nodded once. “What is the meaning of this, Renald?”
“During the princess’s tutoring time, I, as her ethics instructor, took it upon myself to show her the disparity between her status and those without. In order for her to understand the lives that would be affected, should she think selfishly.” The man looked at the princess affectionately. “Never have I been so proud. She understood right away and spent her allowance and even some of mine to ensure that each one we came across ate that day. The kingdom is in excellent hands.”
“Please, we don’t have the infas-infrare—.” The princess paused, frowning.
“Infrastructure, Highness,” Renald offered patiently.
“Yes, thanks Sir Jay,” she beamed at him, and he sputtered at her use of his given name. “We don’t have the infrastructure to take care of them and ensure everyone else is taken care of. This will make it so they are taken care of, and we have a really nice ally.”
The king and queen were at a loss, on the one hand, their daughter had just outed them to strangers who could likely take this information and lead a rebellion or attack that could destroy them. Then on the other, they had to worry about whether we were sincere in our offers or not.
“If she is to rule someday, the Unseelie Fae would be happy to have an alliance with her.” Maebe couldn’t take her eyes off the girl who smiled winningly at her.
The king sighed and put his head in his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair as he sat up.
“If you will take the children and some of the younger teens, train them and potentially bring them back, we will allow you to take them.” He took his wife’s hand and continued, “Also, if you will enter into a mutual protectorate with us, we will offer you the orphans in our orphanages.”
“What do they stand to gain upon their return, should they decide to do so?” Maebe’s fingers formed a steeple in front of her.
“For those who choose to take the warrior route, fast-tracked candidacy for officer positions in our army, special consideration for knight training and a competitive wage,” my eyebrows raised as Queen Chareen offered this. “Those who acquire magical abilities will be treated well, depending on the strength of their abilities, they will be given titles and rank as we can create them for a new mage corps.”
“And what of the Braves’ offers?” Manly interjected as she leaned forward.
“We will honor negotiations between both the Braves of the Thorn and your people.” the king motioned to Renald. “See to it that you speak to Nick here and get a messenger to his people so that they might send an able negotiator and example of what they can offer us.”
“There be an example sittin’ next to Queen Maebe right there, your Majesty.” Nick motioned to me excitedly. “King Zekiel be a druid, an’ quite a strong one if I can say it.”
I chuckled at his forthcoming nature. Goofy asshole.
“If this is true, can you explain what we would have to gain from such a deal?” The king’s eyes fell on me, and he looked me over, likely on instinct.
“I can’t speak to his family’s strength, but with druids, our magic is tied to nature itself,” I explained, opting to stand and move away from the table as I did so. “We can shapeshift into animal forms, use battle magic, and also some healing spells. It just depends on what kind of choices the individual made.”
“I take it you stood so that you could give us a demonstration?” Queen Chareen smiled as she took a bite of something that looked creamy, like a potato salad.
I nodded. “Yes, please allow me to show you some of it.”
I took my Ursolon form, my body growing suitably, my massive bulk filling the area. I sniffed at the world around me, then shifted into my fox form, then into my saber tooth form.
“Oh my!” The queen gasped aloud. “And he has abilities with magic as well?”
I glanced at my friends, and Bokaj spoke up, “He does. He’s capable of doing a whole slew of things that Mother Nature allows. He’s quite adept. But, speaking of adept, we had one more minuscule favor to ask of you, your Majesties. If you will pay us mind one more time?”
“What is it you require?” The king narrowed his eyes almost on instinct, but his queen took his hand and pointed toward their daughter. She played with the little elemental shooting water from her hands into the ocean as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His tone changed, “How can we be of assistance?”
“We’re trying to find a way into the Great Below, and we’d heard that there’s a chance that your dungeon could get us there,” Bokaj began, but the queen stopped him.
“If it’s entry to the dungeon that you want, we can allow you entry to the top floors.” She looked to her daughter, then back. “Anything beyond that is outside our control and into the Nimran’s Flame’s territory, they control the whole thing. My husband can draw up the necessary paperwork this evening, and then we can have it to you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Highness.” Bokaj bowed his head and looked to see that I had shifted back. “Zeke, care to show them a little magic?”
“It would be best if I didn’t.” I smiled. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. But, as King of the Unseelie, I do know some shadow magic. I could show you a little more of that if you wanted?”
They delighted in me showing them how I could control the shadows for a little bit. By the time we were ready to leave, it was later in the afternoon.
“To reiterate, the children who wish to go, may go—we will not force anyone. T
hose who desire to return will do so, and to boons from the kingdom, correct?” Maebe spoke to the other two royals, who nodded solemnly. “And tomorrow, we will return for a missive saying we are to be allowed entry into the dungeon so that we can attempt to gain entry into the Great Below.”
“Yes. And as you have been more than charitable to our people and us. We will also write a letter of recommendation to the Flame, informing them that you have proven yourselves capable.” The king strode forward and held a hand out to each of us, shaking our hands in turn. “When do you start?”
“Sooner, the better.” Maebe smiled excitedly. The king and queen blanched and looked to each other. “Thank you for your hospitality, King Abioye, and Queen Chareen. It was enlightening to meet you both. Princess Villeroa, study hard. and play hard. Your heart and mind in unison will make you an excellent ruler in this mortal realm.”
With a nod and friendly dismissal, we were on our way back to our lodging with Sir Renald as a chaperone of sorts.
“Sir Renald,” Muu began, but the knight cut him off.
“Jay, please.” He encouraged with a good-natured smile. “Around court, among unpleasant company, perhaps, but here? Jay will do fine.”
“How do we get the children to come?” I cast my eyes about casually. There was a child or group of them on almost every street corner, begging or looking for marks. They needed help.
“You can leave that to me.” Maebe grinned wolfishly. “I will gather them. We must first check on Xiphyre. He should have our supplies ready by now.”
“We’ve only been gone a couple hours at best.” Balmur looked confused. “How could he have gotten things put together in that short of a time?”
“Because of all the things that he is….” Maebe pointed toward the inn we were staying at, a flash of light burst from the window of our room as a small crowd gathered below on the street. “Lazy is not one of them.”
We pushed our way through the building crowd, made our way up to our room, and Maebe and I went in while the others went to see about food downstairs.
I walked in first, catching a broken flying piece of chalk careening toward my face, “Nice to see you too, Xiphyre.” I greeted the frantic Ragalfr.
He flitted around the room, making different drawings of runes, symbols, and pentagrams of varying sizes and complexity.
“Shut up, boy!” He screeched, flitting here and there. “Better yet, send a message to Thogan and see if he has finished my item!”
I rolled my eyes and did as he said to shut him up. I pulled out my messaging raven and fed it a hundred mana to speak to Thogan.
“Hey Thogan, it’s Zeke, Xiphyre asked me to check and see if the item he asked you to build is done?” I completed the sentence, and a spectral copy of the figure in my hand flew through the wall toward the village where the blacksmith was.
A few minutes of silence, other than Xiphyre’s manic mutterings, and a dull shunk sounded in front of the little man.
“Ah, ha!” He cried, holding up a golden-stemmed, platinum lidded mushroom. It held different sized, crudely cut gems in the gold stem and imbedded in the top was a set of rings in slots that appeared to be silver that jutted out at similar angles.
I saw motion in my palm and heard Thogan’s hearty reply of, “Sure is!”
“Excellent craftsmanship as always, the rocky thing knows how to work” Xiphyre smirked, then pointed to Maebe and I. “The two of you can wait on the bed. Do not move, and do not touch any of the symbols. I need the door open, though. It’s symbolic of the system I’m creating.”
We carefully made our way over to the bed, then sat with a sigh. Xiphyre winged it over to the runes and ensured all of them were good, then narrowed his eyes at us. “Better thought, Queen Maebe, please cover yourself and the king in a veil of shadows so that the magic of your various items doesn’t interfere.”
She blinked, and a small, thin film of shadows passed over us both as Xiphyre centered himself over a central pentagram.
He sat the item in the center and mumbled into the air. As the words fled his mouth, the runes in the room glowed with power, green in color. Then he began making precise motions and gestures with his hands. More of the symbols on the room glowed, giving off a purple light.
Now he swayed, not just a portion of his body, but the whole of it. His wings didn’t even move as he shifted through the air in a pattern as well.
His voice grew louder, sweat building on his brow and chest as he barked three words in a language my mind couldn’t even comprehend.
He dropped to the ground weakly, pricked his finger, and added his own drop of blood. “Now you, My Queen.”
Maebe left her place beside me, bit her finger, so a small droplet of blood touched the top. Xiphyre pulled a small bowl out of his inventory and added another drop. “Now for the prime plane creatures.”
Two more vials containing a single droplet of blood popped into existence before Xiphyre, and he smiled tiredly. “Good, Rowland and his daughter are so helpful.”
He dripped them into place, and the symbols on the walls were sucked onto the outside of the mushroom. It rattled for a second, glowing radioactively, then plopped onto the ground.
“How do you keep getting items delivered to you?” I asked incredulously.
“It’s a box I tied to my being. If it fits, I gets.” Xiphyre grinned at me, spreading his arms wide.
“That’s convenient,” I observed with more than a little hope in my voice.
“Also expensive and time-consuming,” he added pointedly. “Your thinning of the veil is there, Majesty, all you need to do is cast the spell, and it will be much less taxing for you.”
“Consider the debt you owe me decreased once more, Xiphyre.” Maebe lifted the item high to eye it in the light streaming through the room. “Tonight, I will summon the children, for now, I will bargain with my mother.”
“Your mom?” I almost audibly gulped.
“Yes, my mother.” She smiled nervously, then turned toward the dazed Ragalfr. “Thank you, Xiphyre. You may go back to Thogan if you so wish.”
“Thank you, My Queen.” He stood, yawned, and scratched his stomach before fading from view.
“Why is he so weird?” I wondered to no one in particular.
“He has been so since he was merely a babe, newly crowned one,” a strange, melodic voice answered.
I turned to find a woman of similar height and build to Maebe, staring at me from the shadows. My lovely wife must have contacted her with Shadow Speak.
“Mother, my husband’s name is Zekiel,” Maebe spoke with a tone of exasperation. “Zekiel, this is my mother, Eiran’a, former Queen of the Unseelie Court and first of her name.”
“A pleasure to meet you, your Highness.” I bowed slightly at the waist.
“Indeed,” she replied dismissively. “Why have you called, daughter?”
“I require your assistance,” Maebe began and made to explain before the other woman cut her off.
“No request? I run your kingdom in your stead while you galivant about the prime realm with these ‘champions’ of yours, while you haven’t increased your power base whatsoever—”
“Mother!” Maebe barked, her fists clenched at her side and a growl growing in her throat.
“Eiran’a, you haven’t seen the things I have,” I spoke in a respectful, but reproachful tone as I put a hand on Maebe’s shoulder. “If you would let her finish her thought, you would know that her task for you is worthwhile.”
The room was colder now, I could see my breath and Maebe’s puffed out as well.
I pulled shadows around us and fed a little of my flame aspected mana into it, and the shadows became warmer.
“I need you to collect the children we will be bringing from this realm to our own.” the shadow covered woman made to speak but Maebe held up a hand to stop her. “There will be dozens, if not hundreds, mother. You will do this as it pleases me, and our people will thrive. I have an item to assist me in
holding the tear open longer, but someone needs to collect them.”
“Very well, My Queen.” Eiran’a bowed her head. “I will gather the Unseelie, and we will prepare swiftly.”
The shadows dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal. I relinquished my control over the shadows, and they fled us.
“That was clever thinking,” Maebe whispered as she sat on the bed.
“Thank you.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, fuck her. She doesn’t know what you’ve done for your people. But I do wonder what you meant by ‘our people will flourish’?”
“Being near mortals makes the Fae more fertile,” Mae stated quietly, seeing the confusion on my face made her explain more. “Specifically, children. Something about their juvenile life essence makes the cosmos, or whatever it is responsible for our conception rate, confuse us for them, and we can conceive more readily sometimes.”
“So, having this many children in one place in the Fae Realm could mean a baby boom.” I frowned, then smiled. “So our people will be able to experience life for themselves!”
She looked at me in shock. “What? I have something on my face? The heated shadows didn’t singe my fur, did they? Damn it.”
I tried to get a glance at myself, but she stood on the bed and held my face. “This is the first time you’ve claimed the Unseelie as ours since you became king.”
I blinked. I hadn’t really thought about it that way. “Well, when your mom was being a dick, I kind of just had to react, and that must have put things into perspective.”
“She wasn’t necessarily wrong though, Zeke.” she frowned to herself in thought.
“Yeah, she was.” She frowned deeper at my insistence. “Your ice magic is stronger than before, and you’ve knighted seven people for your realm. You’ve brought alliances to fruition with two kingdoms in a realm where your people have little control, and you’re about to send a bunch of fertilizer over to your people so that they can have the joy of both raising children and possibly having their own. You’re killing it.”
Into the Darkness: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Axe Druid Book 4) Page 27
