by Philip Read
“The guards that observed the battle from a distance reported that he was leading the charge and made the plane of attack. He has some sort of spirit based abilities that let him bypass the wards but they were too far and everything happened too fast to say with surety how the sorcerer died.
“But no, I didn’t even suspect he was an Awakened. Something you should have been the one to tell me grandmother.” She says with a pout.
I smile at her little back talk, I’m not very close with the younger generation of Alvalon’s, its hard to be close when there are so many children and many of them bastards who will never inherit the noble peerage. But I do get to spend time with all the ones that show an aptitude in information gathering and subterfuge.
While mother spends time with those gifted in magic or have impressive latent talents. Our House has been noble for 800 years in Sandoria, and in that time 6 women from our House have become queens of Sandoria. We know how to make beautiful powerful women and how to take and hold power. Our men are loyal and understand their place in the greater scheme of things.
And now we are threatened by mages and mother’s old enemies are getting bold thinking she is getting old and feeble. Maybe fostering closer ties to these tribesmen is just what we need to come out on top.
“How well does he like you?” I ask little Patra who tries her best to hide her embarrassment at the question but her mind glow is wide open for me to peruse.
I’ve always had mixed feeling about the wisdom of keeping our progeny virgins until they are ready to breed or make a good political match but mother is insistent on it. “I do not know how he may feel about me.”
And she probably really doesn’t have the slightest idea one way or the other. I have watched her obliviously laugh and talk with some of her cousins smitten with her without even an inkling of their true feelings. “How do you like him?”
“I do not know grandmother, he seems interesting but I do not understand him nor do I understand his people, I wouldn’t know where to even begin dealing with him. Perhaps Sansa would be a good match for him, Great Mother has been saving her for a match with one of the royal children though.”
I give her a look at that. Sansa is a beauty even by our families’ standards and has been trained to be in authority since she was a little child. She has many suitors amongst the Houses, the Mages and even some of the Royal cousins but mother has been hoping for a match with one of King Magnus’ direct children. The girl must think a great deal of the young man to recommend Sansa.
“Is there anything else I should be made aware about?” She hesitates which means there is something I should know. “Speak child.”
“The big one with the hammer of stone.”
“What about him?” I prompt when she remains silent.
“I think he knew Aaliyah.”
I stay silent at that, I really loved that girl rebellious though she was. Mourning her lose is the only thing I have in common with the Princesses and how I got her involved in this pursuit of the sorcerers despite opposition from the mages.
“Why?” I ask carefully, I’m not the only one that loved her after all.
“When he saw me at the feast, he looked like he’d seen a ghost.”
Chapter 103
Cynthia Alvalon
I’m distracted but this whole thing has turned into a big national incident. The few day’s we’ve been here with Arthur leading the talks with Damage the Barbarian, royal guards in the presence of Aphrodite arrived but thankfully she wasn’t her usual brus self. But she was quickly followed by a representative of House Edgarson who was very disrespectful to our ‘hosts’ on his arrival.
I was tempted to let the little shit get himself killed but I knew that if the Paradisans killed him they would soon follow him to the grave. Though Gregory Edgarson himself is a paper tiger, he brought 50 of his House’s guards, 9 of whom are Awakened Warriors trained by Adonias’ father Sextan before he disappeared.
The is an aura of solemness to being here though. We are all solemn because of the injured, to the things done to the children, the charred areas of grass where the tribesmen burnt their dead. The cold and preserved body of Susannah. So solemnity isn’t a surprise, its the recent excitement of activity, politicking and progress that’s a surprise.
The fae arrived from the Tundra to the surprised of all of us. We had expected maybe a delegation of Barbarians in kilts, leather and animal fur. We expected to be dealing with smart humans that are primarily warriors by vocation and easily maneuvered. And those people came with the fae, in fact they came too quickly to have been from Paradisum directly.
We didn’t expect them to bring fae with them though. The two fae traveling with the now stationary group of Paradisans are the first fae I had ever meet even in my long life, now there are 20 more here and they are deferring to Damage and the other Paradisans already present. This is all very interesting and I remember carefully who speaks to whom in what tone as they interact amongst us, but still for my usually attentive self I’m distracted.
It’s one thing to intellectually know that someone you love died in a war not of her making against a people that you now sit across a table with. Its another thing entirely to suspect who the killing blow came from.
*
Sachihiro
The fae healers have done what they can for our injured but these are not mundane wounds. Like the one that nearly killed me years back was an aura wound that left a scare even after going through an absolute restore, so too spiritual wounds of this sort leave semi permanent scares. Wounds that though treated need extra time to fully heal.
Mira is up and about trying to hide her pain as usual, I’m just happy she will be alright with time. We have been spending most of our time cuddling together and sleeping, apparently it’s normal to sleep when recuperating from spirit body wounds. One of the slave girls has been saying she belongs to me and will only answer questions at my direction when interrogated.
How the girl, or woman as it were found my name I do not know but I’ve been avoiding her. Tosting the old bastard also arrived with the party from Paradisum, why he decided not to go to Pangaea with us I’m not sure but I am glad to see the contrary old man here. Chief Dean who is now the chief of Hilton is also here along with Victor and the famous warrior woman Satyr the Awakened.
Her presence makes me realise that she no longer is the youngest Barbarian to Awaken, that title now goes to Om. Who may actually be older than me if I take into account time from his perspective not time from mine. The negotiations are all but concluded I’m told as this property in the woods becomes a hub of activity for the political animals of two nations.
As ma negotiated we will build hostels in 3 selected Sandorian Provinces and a 1 State that will be planned to house our people that travel through these lands for whatever reason. There have been problems with inns and other housing establishments refusing us entry or service. Forcing tribesmen to camp in the woods outside cities even in dreary conditions.
The hostels will be sovereign territory and treated as embassies are so long as the sovereignty of the Sandorian embassy to be built in Paradisum territory is treated the same. ‘No such hostel is to be ever built within Central Province’, why they stipulated that in I’m not sure since I’ve never been to their Central but now I’m curious.
As da had declared everything owned by the sorcerers now belongs to the Tundra but specifically Paradisum, which is also turning into a sort of State of it’s own within the Tundra. So far that includes the property and everything in it but I am confident that once we go through the accounts in the library we will find many other holdings. 50% of the wealth and possessions here go to us that attacked the place.
The families of the dead will have their share and the honour of having their family member’s names and weapons immortalized in the Museum, nice touch that.
*
“Are you ready to meet with this slave claiming to be yours now?” Mira asks after having
spoken to the woman.
“No.”
“I’ll bring her in then.” My mate says complely ignoring my wishes but I’m resigned to dealing with this.
Mira as a former slave herself has spoken some to me about the woes of slavery. And one of the worst parts she says is not knowing your fate. My ignoring the woman isn’t doing her any favours but actually putting her into a prolonged state of rudderlessness, even I know what its like to be lost without direction.
The woman walks into the room I’ve been sharing with Mira with her eyes downcast and her demeanour humble and petrified. Her mere presence makes me uncomfortable and her aura is so submissive that it reminds me of one of those kept animals in the Kraals. This one is broken, completely and thoroughly broken and I have no wish to be any further cause of that nor do I want responsibility of her.
The woman is very very beautiful though, and her looks and shape imply she was a sex slave. Which is confusing since the fat pervert was only interested in children as far as information from interrogating the other slaves has revealed.
“Why do you consider yourself my slave?” I ask gently trying my very best not to startle the poor creature if I can help it.
“You banished Master Albert and took his place with the hold over me.” She says in a very submissive feminine voice if ever I’ve heard one. But her word choice more than anything piques my interest.
“How do you know I banished him and not killed him?” I ask looking at her closely now which causes her to fidget so I pretend to be looking away again whilst keeping my awareness on her.
“This unworthy slave is one of Master Albert’s successes, this unworthy slave is a meld of a summoned spirit that has bonded into my body. When Master Albert was banished this unworthy slave felt it and was relinquished from Master Albert into Master Sachihiro’s possession along with all other’s of Master Albert’s permanent summons.”
I’m blinking rapidly at everything she is saying and I am not sure I am understanding this correctly so I send to the fae Vahe who I know to be a sorcerer though also a condescending bastard when dealing with humans. I ask if it’s possible to transfer ownership of a permanent summoned spirit from person to person.
“Command can be passed from person to person but ownership cannot while the summoner lives, and when a summoner dies the spirit is banished. So no, ownership cannot be passed from person to person.” His reply is immediate, he must be bored.
“What if the summoner isn’t killed, what if the summoner is banished himself.” I send back.
“What is your name?” I ask the slave before me as Vahe takes his time in responding this time.
She also remains silent a moment before responding, “this unworthy slave is named whatever Master Sachihiro deems appropriate.”
“What is the name you were given after you were born?” I try again and again get silence at first.
“This one does not remember the name she was given if ever she was given one.” She says shaking. I look at Mira, I don’t know what to do with her getting like this, I send to Mira and she sends back that I should continue.
“What did Albert call you?” I ask careful to fill my voice with warmth and gentleness.
“Master Albert summoned this one through spirit link when my services were required. Master Albert did not call this unworthy slave by any name.”
That’s harsh, nameless, maybe possessed by some kind of spirit, a slave to that fat pervert. I’m scared to ask by I ask anyways. “What is the primary role you performed for Albert?”
“This one was to be a sex slave to service Master’s esteemed guests and to be a reward for Master’s servants when they greatly pleased him.” She says seemingly calming down, so its the name that was causing her distress.
“Summoned spirits cannot permanently own anything unless they become material creatures and find a way to anchor themselves to be more physical than they are spirit. If they are powerful enough they themselves may be able to summon lesser spirits to do their bidding, since all spirits have potential to be sorcerers.
“If it so happens that the anchored permanent summoned spirit is somehow banished back to the spirit realm or plane, the being that initially summoned the permanent spirit can take possession of all other spirit creatures the permant spirit had summoned. But the new master would need to be strong enough to maintain control over the spirit creatures.
“I feel that these questions mean you are in possession of lesser spirits the Sorcerer you banished had summoned that weren’t banished with their master.” Vahe sends.
“I feel that you fae only came because you heard I somehow banished a human.” I send back.
“Yes, it is a great curiosity that brought several of us here. We have been unable to understand Carmella’re’s fascination with you personally but now I am starting to understand. Tell me how you managed to do this and I will not repeat our conversation to any other unless death is eminent or you give me leave to do so.”
“I’ll get back to you on that.”
“I await our conversation eagerly.”
“Tell me more about this spirit that has possessed you and others I may have inherited.” I say to the poor slave girl.
“It is not a possession to have a spirit summoned within a being, it is a summoning. But Master Albert does it with many rituals and sigils allowing the spirit to rest in harmony with the being. If the summons remains long enough it becomes rooted within the being till there is no distinction between either.”
“And this bond between you and I is already established?”
“No Master.”
“What happens if we don’t establish it?”
“I don’t know Master.”
“Just out of curiosity, what happens if I do not take possession of Albert’s summons?” I send to Veha again.
“They either fade until they are banished back from whence they came or they remained anchored regardless of him depending on how strong they are. I eagerly await any further queries.”
Prick.
I look at this ‘unworthy slave’ before me and I’m very conflicted about what to do. But I do know without a doubt that I do not want to take possession of her, I do not want a slave, I do not want someone dependent on me who knows nothing but sex. I pity her, but I also hate what she is. This woman is a slave even after the death of her master, slavery is so deeply rooted within her nature that she seeks another master instead of goes running for the hills at the chance of freedom.
“Do you want your freedom?”
“No Master.”
“Do you want to die? I think I can make it quick and painless, won’t even see it coming.”
She takes a bit longer to deliberate over that one. “No Master.” She finally says.
“What do you want?”
“I want to be useful to you Master.”
I frown at that and glare at Mira for putting me in this situation. “I have no use for a slave, I have 3 lovely mates that are peers to me. I do not usually host guests that I feel the need to entertain with sex, nor do I trust any creature that doesn’t value it’s freedom when offered. So tell me, ‘unworthy slave’, what use could you possibly be to me?”
Chapter 104
Andromeda Draconis Orion
I watch the all out sparing matchup between the Conclave’s Alexis and Ruth as they unleash on each other with all ferocity and focus. The woman, Alexis, is more powerful all things considered and her mana manipulation is implacable. But Ruth is my 16th concubine and trained by my son Gallexie personally since she stole my attention.
Ruth gives the Conclave Mage a run for her money with her craftiness and expert use of her grandmaster level skills though. A matchup between beings of such levels of power takes up the whole of the 4km² fighting chamber as the combatants weave between the stone pillars and cover great distances in little time in their clash.
I have watched most of the matches between my children and the Conclave elites that have been vi
siting my empire and I hate to admit that I am disappointed at the levels of skill and power I have seen so far. From people connected to the Ancient One I had expected more but it seems I am yet to find a true peer outside of the older Ancient Beasts and other ‘queer’ creatures that like to keep their privacy. It can truly be lonely at the top, which is why I surround myself with family and loved ones at all times.
But still having someone of compatible power I could actually relate to at a human level wouldn’t have been too much to ask for surely. Not that these guests aren’t powerful, some could even give me a run of my money or even hurt me somewhat in a sparing match. But all I’ve seen come through here are beings I would destroy if I unleashed myself fully with no reservations, and that’s a lonely realisation.
My children have made new friendships and met new people of comparable power or stronger though which is good. I try to instil in them the dangers of being prideful when they are young but there is always the dangers of falling into the trap of pride when you are of Orian royal blood and powerful in your own right. Now they’ve seen that they aren’t necessarily the strongest humans on Gaia; even Kakaroth has stepped out of his basement to ‘socialize’.
I observe the match for another 15 minutes but Ruth is running out of tricks and room and the stone pillars aren’t enough to hide behind for long. Sometimes superior skill just doesn’t trump superior power, but I’ve also learnt that occasionally it does.
Anyways though I have not made peers in power I have made plenty in intelligence, and some that are craftier than I will ever be, and several that can run an empire that rivals my own in many aspects. The Persian Empire in Pangaea with its great wealth and long history, the Nubian empire in Ta-Seti with it’s superior military expertise, the naga empire of Assyria, the most successful beastman empire known on Gaia’s surface.
I think its time Celestia made peace with the Nubians of Ta-Seti once and for all. My people have been waring with the black men of the Nubian Empire for nearly two hundred years now and though it has been great for developing our two empire’s militaries, the war has created a vast desert on the neutral ground of Diabolo were most of our armies meet. I admit that the Nubian’s military is almost as good as mine is and so I will have to concede the bet stopping this two century old war.
