by Eric Vall
It was a tremendous sight, and I wished for a moment that the goddess were alive to see her people come together like this to accept me so readily. In her life, she had seen nothing but violence among her people and the death of citizens and Tamarischian soldiers who the city had promised to protect. It seemed Kanashimi could only live in peace without the goddess, and I would make sure, for her sake, it stayed that way. We already knew the city of Kanashimi would survive on and remain unchanged after the goddess’s death, but I would bring them into a whole new era with a new trade route between Tamarisch and Valasara.
When we returned to the pension house, I let my minions know I would be indisposed for a moment. Once inside our rooms, I retired to a private chamber and pulled out the orb given to me by Makar. As I rolled it in my palm, I said his name and slowly, as before with Haruhi, I heard the faint crackling of the man’s voice.
“Master? You called for me?” the Valasara native asked through the orb.
“I would like to set up a trade route between Valasara, Tamarisch, and Machstein. Do you think that would be possible?” I inquired through the orb, and there was a moment of silence as Makar thought to himself.
“If we had the trade ships and traders … it would be better to discuss this in person …” Makar muttered more to himself than to me, and with a deep chuckle, I closed my eyes and sensed out his exact location.
I moved my essence through time and space using the goddess’s soul transferral power. I felt the miles pass through my fingers like grains of sand as I found a suitable body to host my essence for a short matter of time. If I used the body as a mouthpiece for a short period, it would do the person no real harm. It took only a matter of seconds as my soul was transferred to the city of Valasara. When I opened my eyes, I stood in a room I didn’t recognize, and the man I had just been speaking to was seated behind a desk.
This was the palace that was once occupied by Alistair and was now under my control. Makar, my regent, had been put in place to rule in my absence. He held the orb in his palm, and his expression was confused as he shouted my name at the sphere and found no response come through.
“You said you wanted to speak to me in person?” I asked, and the body vessel I was using sounded groggy and hoarse the first time it spoke.
“Shit!” Makar shouted as he nearly fell from his chair as he took notice of my sudden appearance. “What do you want? I’m very busy as you can see, get back to work.”
“It is me, your Master,” I informed him as I gestured to the unknown man’s body I was using. “I am now able to transfer my essence to bodies all thanks to the goddess I received these powers from.”
“Very well, my Master. So, this new trade idea? Between Valasara, Tamarisch, and Machstein? What does Machstein have to offer that we could trade?” Makar leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.
I informed Makar of the items both Tamarisch and Machstein had to offer to the trade system, and he listened intently as he nodded and cupped his chin. I liked him as a person and wanted his opinion when it came to what was best for the country of Valasara. I had already been informed of what types of produce and items the differing regions had to sell and knew if we started this endeavor, it would enrich both Machstein and Valasara greatly.
As we talked, I hadn’t realized how much I missed Valasara. The heat was still stifling, but it was much better than the frigid temperatures we dealt with while in Tamarisch. Makar told me all was peaceful in Valasara, and the people had easy access to water since I took down their tyrannical leader.
Once everything was settled, Makar outlined the trade route as it started in Valasara, moved up through Tamarisch, and on to Machstein. Once I took over Tintagal, it too would be added to the route. Makar congratulated me on taking over Machstein and spoke highly of the island he had visited twice before, but he offered one word of warning to me.
“The Lord over Machstein, Master?” Makar asked quizzically as he scratched his head. “You can’t be the Lord.”
“And why is that?” I questioned incredulously.
“Because you are not married on the soil of Machstein,” Makar said as if it were plain as day. “The lord of the island has to be married there to receive the title.”
I raised my eyebrows at this new information. “Is this true? I hadn’t heard of it before?” I told him as I leaned back against the wall and peered out the window to the streets below.
“Yes, Master.” Makar nodded as he crossed the room and came to stand beside me by the window. “The last lord, Akuno? He narrowly didn’t receive the sigil ring because he was unmarried at the time. He married the day before it was supposed to pass to his younger brother and was able to take control of the city. I’m surprised the goddess didn’t mention that.”
“Well, it is a miniscule detail. I can forgive her for not bringing it up,” I stated in a gentle voice as I remembered the goddess’s last dying moments.
“Well, you have three women waiting in the wings, who are you going to choose to marry next?” Makar said as he laid a hand on my shoulder. “I heard all about the royal wedding in Tamarisch. Wished I could have been there to celebrate with the two people who helped free my land.”
I turned to him with a smile. “I have someone in mind to ask.” I chuckled as I returned the gesture and we stood at the window and watched the bustling people below. “Do you know any good jewelers within Valasara? I would like to get something custom made for my next bride.”
Makar smiled and led me out of the palace and down into the streets to a lavish building. My regent told me it was once a blacksmith when the city was first in its infancy, but the owner had such an eye for small detail and precise work that they moved into the art of making jewelry instead of weapons. Makar went in with me, and I spoke to the owner himself who was the great-grandson of the original owner. Many different pieces of jewelry were on display, but I had something special in mind and gave the metalworker instructions of the piece I wanted precisely and what would be fitted into the ring. The man took down notes and drew up a rough sketch of what I specified. When we had the entire ring planned out, he tipped his hat to me and went in the back to start work on the ring.
As Makar said, this man was a master of his trade, and within four hours, he came back out front with the treasure neatly wrapped in a deep purple velvet bag. I thanked him for his hard work and paid him a handsome price. Then I tucked the small pouch into my void pocket and headed back to the palace with my regent.
I knew by the end of the night, one out of the three women would be chosen to be my bride, and I had the exact one in mind. This ring I held was more than a ring, it was something unique and shared a special memory, and I knew there was only one woman who deserved to wear this ring. I said my goodbyes to Makar, and the massive man shook my hand, congratulated me on becoming lord of Machstein, and also wished me good luck in proposing. I thanked him though I knew I didn’t need luck. All of my women already wanted to marry me and spend the rest of their lives with me.
I had made them my minions, then my lovers and, one by one, I would make them my brides.
Chapter Twenty-One
When I returned my essence to Kanashimi, the sun was lower in the sky and evening was settling upon the city. I opened my eyes to our rooms at the pension house and noticed the absence of my minions. I peeked out onto the balcony and only found Annalise and Carmedy. The feline was curled up in a chair with a soft blanket wrapped around her. She was sleeping soundly, and as I neared them, her black ears twitched once then stood still.
Annalise sat with her legs tucked under her and a book firmly held in her hands. A soft breeze blew past and brushed back the baby-hairs that had come out of her braid. The High Queen raised her chocolate brown eyes to me and smiled gently. Then she placed her thumb between the pages and set down the closed book in her lap.
“Where are Rana and Morrigan?” I inquired in a whisper so as not to disturb the sleeping cat.
&
nbsp; “They went back up to the dungeon to search for treasure while you were gone,” the swordswoman murmured.
I nodded as I turned toward to the mountain. I moved my eyes up the winding trail that led to the cave mouth of the goddess’s dungeon and could have sworn I saw the two small silhouettes of the females.
“Annalise,” I muttered as I reached into my void pocket and moved the velvet bag around in my fingers. “How would you feel if I took another wife?”
My first wife thought for a moment, and I turned my head to watch her. She looked beautiful as ever as the sun slanted in and bathed her in golden light. The High Queen ran her fingers over the leather cover of the book as she thought, and then she raised her eyes to me. There was no sadness in their brown hues, and that gave me comfort.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Annalise stated as she played with the ring on her finger. “I already think of them as my sisters and would gladly accept them as more than that.”
“I don’t want any of them to feel slighted,” I said as I lay my eyes on the still sleeping feline. “I don’t play favorites with any of you, and I don’t want them to feel like I am.”
“I think whoever not picked will understand. These things take time, and there is no sort of order in which to do them.” My wife gently smiled, so I crossed to her with a few quick steps, leaned down, and moved to press a soft kiss to her mouth. Our lips met tenderly, and I deepened the kiss. The swordswoman’s hands moved into my hair, and I wrapped my arms around her as her tongue slipped into my mouth. Annalise was the first to pull away, and when I gazed down at her, her smooth skin was glowing.
“Are you going to her now?” she questioned as she leaned against her knuckle, and I nodded in response. “Then I wish you the best of luck, though you already know any of them would say yes in a heartbeat.”
I gave Annalise’s hand a soft squeeze and headed off toward the mountain. The trek up the path was pleasant and warm enough that I stripped from my heavy cloak. Wildflowers on the mountainside bobbed and swayed in a light breeze, and I watched them with a lightheartedness I hadn’t felt in a long time. I had been locked away in my dungeon for so long it was strange and exhilarating to experience the beauty of nature again. I hadn’t known I would miss the smell of flowers or the brush of grass on my bare feet. I breathed in the fresh mountain air as I made my way up and it put me at peace.
Once I made it to the top, my two minions were waiting for me with a massive amount of treasure, more than we had ever found in any of the other dungeons. Rana was busy sorting through them with eager paws and didn’t raise her head to me as I came over the crest of the mountain. Her black-tipped ears were flat against her head as she searched, and I watched amused for a few passing moments.
Morrigan noticed me first, and though her expression never changed, her eyes softened. The elf’s long white hair was pulled over one shoulder as she searched with her sister.
“Find anything of interest?” I called to them, and the redhead jumped. The fox’s tail fluffed up and stood at attention, alarmed. Two of the silver chalices she held in her paws clattered to the ground, and I stifled a chuckle in my throat.
“No, not really,” the fox answered back as she petted down the hairs of her tail and went back to the treasure. “Just a bunch of odds and ends. We think most of this stuff were offerings that the goddess kept.”
As I stood back and watched, I was astonished to see four more trunks float out of the cave’s mouth and set themselves down in front of Morrigan. The elven woman gave me a sly smile over her shoulder then went back to rifling through the treasure.
“Shadow slaves?” I asked as I stepped closer to my white-haired lover. “All by yourself?”
“I’ve been studying you a long time, Master, and I think I was able to copy the spell. Though, I’ll never be as good as you,” Morrigan admitted as her pale cheeks flushed pink.
“I’m very proud of you, my dear.” I smiled as I stroked her silky, white hair. “I’m always willing to teach whenever you’re ready to learn more.”
“If you’re going to teach anyone, you should teach me how to use this damn sword,” Rana snickered as she stood and held out the sacred necklace. “I have no idea how to summon a sword, let alone swing one!”
“I can teach you how to use a sword just as I taught you with the daggers, Rana,” I chuckled as I crossed to her and took the pendant into the palm of my hand. “As for summoning it, the Tichádáma said to think of the sword, place your hand over your chest, and the sword would do the rest.”
The fox-woman took a few steps away from the trunks and treasure, planted her feet, and closed her eyes. One of her paws came up and hovered over her chest as she whispered, “Eye of Alipsis, gimme the Eye of Alipsis.”
I had heard stories about the Eye of Alipsis and the powers that came along with it but never witnessed it for myself. I watched as bright yellow light streamed from Rana’s chest, and her baby-blue eyes widened in surprise. Her paw grabbed around something I couldn’t see, and with a hard yank, the Eye of Alipsis slid out of the yellow light in her chest. The sword had shrunk to a small enough size that the fox-girl could carry it comfortably, and she held it aloft in the air. It was a fantastic and beautiful sword, and to my surprise, it suited the redhead perfectly. The royal blue of the stone complimented the fiery red of Rana’s curls. Even the way she held the sword was beautiful, and I watched her affectionately as she took a test swing.
“Wow, this thing is so cool!” the fox shouted as she parried and stabbed the air with the sword. “I wonder why that hooded weirdo wanted it so much.”
“Akuno said Tuzakeur called it ‘a finder of things,” Morrigan uttered as she stood next to me and watched Rana attack invisible foes. “And the Tichádáma said if you look through the stone, you can find whatever you’re seeking.”
The curly haired woman held the sword up by the hilt and looked through the azure stone at the end. She turned in a slow circle as she observed the mountainside then lowered it with a sour expression.
“Nothing,” Rana said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Maybe it doesn’t work?”
“You have to look through the stone when it is in the form of a necklace,” I informed her. “It doesn’t work in its sword form.”
The fox-girl stared down at the sword in confusion.
“How do I put it back?” she asked with a furrowed brow, and I chuckled as I stepped closer.
I placed my hands over Rana’s paws on the hilt and brought the blade within inches of her face. I closed her eyelids with my free hand, and her skin bristled with goosebumps from my touch. Her ears turned as I spoke, “Imagine the sword becoming part of you again, let it become one with you and the stone once more.”
The same yellow light from before encased the blade and rose to such an intensity that I had to avert my eyes for a second. Then the sword disappeared with a loud crackle, and Rana’s eyes flew open. The fox patted herself down, and then her paws moved to the necklace and held it in the light.
“This is crazy,” the redhead breathed as she lifted the stone to her eye and turned again as she had with the sword. “Whoa, there’s like … a really bright light coming from the south.”
“Maybe it is the thing you are searching for?” I inquired as I held my palm out for the necklace, and she slipped it off and handed it over.
I lifted the stone to my right eye and turned south, but when I looked into it, bright light came from all directions. I chuckled deep in my throat as I turned once and spied the very same light. I already knew what it meant. I wanted every land and the light that touched it to be mine and under my control. I pulled the stone away from my face with a smile and handed it back to the redhead. She placed the chain around her neck and held the pendant in her closed fist.
“Probably it’s a sacred item. That’s something I’m searching for,” Rana answered with a shrug, and then she turned back to the treasure. “Morrigan, can you summon more of your shadow slaves to carry
these down the mountain? I want to get them traded for coin as soon as possible.”
“Absolutely,” the pale elf answered, and within mere seconds, all of the trunks and loot were lifted into the air by unseen hands.
Morrigan turned to follow after Rana, but I grabbed her hand and stopped her. My elven lover stared into my face, and I lovingly stroked her colorless cheek with the back of my hand as I whispered, “Come with me, I wish to discuss something with you.”
“Yes, Master, what is it?” the High Elf asked as I led her down into the grass and flowers instead of down the well-beaten path.
It was a beautiful evening as we strolled together down the mountainside and, soon, we found a cliff face that jutted out over the water. My elven lover and I stood side-by-side as the sky turned deep hues of orange and brilliant yellow as the sun sunk below the horizon. I placed her hand in mine and pulled her close to my side against the chilly wind that gusted over the surface of the water. I glanced down at her, and her eyes met mine. For a moment, we stared at each other and took in each other’s features. She was a gorgeous woman just like her sisters, and I was lucky to have them by my side. I wanted nothing more than to be with them for the rest of our lives and what I was about to do was going to solidify those plans.
“Tell me about marriage ceremonies in the High Elven society,” I requested, and her dark eyes blinked once as they turned away from mine.
“In my society, most of the marriages are arranged. Like Annalise, I went through a debut to announce my presence in society and to appeal to any suitors who might be looking for wives,” Morrigan told me as she held me close. “It is a tradition that has gone on for centuries to keep the bloodlines pure. In other societies, elves are allowed to marry whomever they wish, that is why their hair is not as white as mine. I come from a long line of pure-blooded elves and would have been married off to someone of the same status as me.”
