"Khors Balls. You actually did it," he said. "Count me impressed, Dragozin."
"We did it, plural," I said. Rin sat to my right in the seat that would one day be Suri's, while Karalti sat to my left - the heart side. "All of us. Even you."
His eyes narrowed. "How generous of you, my lord."
"Look dude, square up with me." I sat forward in my chair. "You were pretty fucking wrapped up in your own shit."
His eyes glinted, blue and pale... but then he sighed, and turned his face. "I suppose that's true, yes. I am the youngest of three brothers, which is why I was sent to the church to learn my family's trade. But then my brothers both died, one earlier this year and one in the fall of Karhad, and suddenly, I faced a terrible duty. It got to me."
"If we'd known that, a lot of the shit that went down could have been avoided," I replied.
Soma's mouth twitched. "What? How? By rolling over and revealing my belly to a foreign usurper? Perhaps that is the norm for commoners. You will quickly learn to be guarded in court and society, Dragozin, or you will be torn to shreds by the other Voivodes and by His Majesty in the capitol."
"Ignas likes us a lot, though," Rin said. "I'm... uhh... kind of dating his assassin."
Soma sniffed. "The Volod is thousands of miles from here. While we lord over our province, the cosmopolitan types - Earl Janos of Czongrad, Duchess Elizabeta of Timarila - are whispering in the ear of the king. Everyone knows that the closer you are to His Majesty, the better - so much so that the most powerful people in the Kingdom are the servants that towel his hands and run his baths. They are positions for which the sons of nobility will duel to the death."
"See, that’s great information for me to have. This is the kind of thing you're fantastic at.” I jabbed my finger against my other palm for emphasis. "This kind of shit, right here. I want your support, Soma. I don't want to be your enemy - I want your help and I want to offer you what I've got in turn."
"And what do you have that could interest me?" He replied. "You have no wealth."
"Yet. I’m Starborn. I’ve got generations to become wealthy." I shrugged. "Besides, I'm holding out an olive branch to try and make up, not offering to marry you. You don't need a fucking dowry."
Soma snorted. Then, he began to laugh.
"Alright, Dragozin. You may be a folksy boor, but I'll do it - if nothing else but for the sake of the women who endure your company," Soma chuckled. He bowed to Karalti, who lifted her chin and made a face, and then to Rin, who bobbed her head back at him. "Speaking of that... where is the Lady Ba'hadir?"
"She’s on recon duty," I replied, thinking back to his earlier advice about not revealing my weaknesses. "We’re going to pick her up soon."
"I see." The big man rubbed his chin, nodding to himself. "Well, by the Voivode's leave, I shall return to my county and put it to order. When you are ready to talk trade...?"
"You'll be invited back here under much better circumstances, for sure."
Soma arched his eyebrows, and flashed Istvan a sly little smile. Istvan pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What?" I asked, looking between them.
"Your Grace, it is customary for the higher-ranking lord to make an appointment, then travel to the lower-ranking lord's home and request hospitality," Istvan replied dryly. "The only time you invite a lower-ranking lord to your own castle is if you wish to chastise them, flaunt the strength of your fortifications, or both."
"Unless it is a social event with multiple Houses are attending," Soma added. "And then the event is hosted at the highest-ranking lord's property. Typically not your castle, but your un-fortified summer home."
"Oh." I let out an awkward chuckle. "I'll invite myself to your place then, I guess. There's a lot to learn about this role, huh?"
"Your actions directly affect your renown, so yes." Soma gave a short bow from the neck. "Now, please excuse me."
Once he had left, I slumped into the chair and rubbed my eyes. "Okay. That's a wrap. So, Istvan - you're Karhad's Steward for the time being. Rin - are you willing to take on a role here?"
"Sure." She nodded. "You're going to get Suri, right?"
"Yeah." Buzzing with energy, I stood up and stretched.
Rin got up as well. "I can go with you, you know. I’m starting to get a taste for this adventuring thing."
I thought about it. Then, I shook my head.
"Suri's in hell right now," I said. "But so are the people of Karhad. They need someone to look up to here. You led the soldiers at the Pass - I'm asking you to do it again. Just for a while."
Rin's blue-on-blue eyes widened. She looked down, pressed her lips together, and nodded. "Okay. You can count on me."
"When do you leave?" Istvan asked me.
"Tonight." I turned to Karalti, who rose smoothly to her feet. "But there's one last person I need to see."
Chapter 56
Lazar and his team of medics had moved Vash and the other injured to the castle hospital, which had been left largely untouched by the undead. He had insisted on being out in the main ward with the soldiers, not by himself in a private suite.
"Well, look who just swaggered in." Vash's voice was raspy, but he was alert and alive, propped up in bed with his new arm resting on a pillow. It was a heavy, brutal looking thing - riveted, hydraulic, plated in cold iron in the same way his gauntlets were. "It's polite to ask before staring at a man's parts, you know. Karalti - teach your dog some manners."
“But it’s cute when he barks at stuff.” She danced up to the edge of the bed with her hands behind her back, her hair swirling around her face.
"Glad to see you too." I strolled up beside him and squatted down on my heels. "I thought you ate shit and died."
"Bah. I leave shit-eating to the arselickers at court," he grumbled.
"How are you feeling?" Karalti asked. She leaned in and sniffed over the arm, flinching back when Vash flexed his fingers.
"I punched a full-grown dragon in the head hard enough to crack its skull. I lost the arm, but now I get to drag my balls around the edge of the door when I enter a room." He grinned - there was a new gap in his teeth. "A fair trade, all in all. But my lady, you have a questioning look on your lovely face. Ask."
Karalti scowled. "Am I that easy to read?"
"You're a book so simple even Hector can read you," Vash replied smoothly.
I laughed. "Fuck you."
"We already had this discussion, dog. You don’t have the tool I need for that particular quest." Vash waved his other hand. "Please, Karalti. Continue."
"Well… I learned that I can take a Path in human form." She glanced at me. "I have to train it and only have the skills available while I'm polymorphed, but I figure I'm gonna spend more time like this as I get older. I want to train as a Baru."
"Hrrm." Vash frowned. "Well... tradition says that you must have died or nearly died as a child to join my order."
"She did," I said. "She couldn't hatch out of her egg by herself. I chopped her out of it and resuscitated her."
"Oh! Well, then. Resuscitated by the right hand of the God of Darkness… yes, that ought to count." Vash nearly lifted his prosthetic arm and grimaced with pain, easing back down. "Ay-yai-yai, this thing hurts. Once I am recovered, I'll be more than happy to train you in our ways. You will not need to travel to Myszno Village: I doubt you need to spend two to ten years living in a charnel ground learning to eat carrion."
"Yeah! I already like carrion." She beamed at him happily. "Does that mean you'll teach me how to fight?"
"I'll teach you all sorts of things." Vash winked at me. I gave him my best disapproving dad face. "All of which involve you being fully-dressed and completely safe from violation."
“Yay!" Karalti swung her hands around in a poor, but earnest imitation of a boxer, nearly clipping Vash in the head. "Punch ALL the things!"
"You're sure this is a good idea?" Vash asked me, pointing at my dragon as she hopped, feinting and jabbing. "You really want her to be able to
put you in a headlock?"
"I'll risk it. It makes her happy." I shrugged.
"Hah." Vash shook his head, and winced. "Karalti... would you mind if I spoke to your pet alone for a few minutes?"
"Huh? Oh! Sure. I'll wait outside." Karalti stopped what she was doing and came back to me. She flung her arms around me and squeezed, nuzzling the side of my face, then broke off and wound her way through the hospital ward.
"She has a sunny personality for such a dark creature, doesn’t she?" Vash made a sound of amusement. "Alright, Dragozin. Talk to Uncle Vash: what happened to you?"
"Ashur bit me." I shrugged. “I’m immune to Corruption, so I ended up half-vamp instead of all-vamp.”
"A Halfblood?" The monk's brow creased slightly. "Take off that mask. Let me see."
Wordlessly, I complied, pulling it down to bare my face. After drinking a Dragon's Blood potion the day before, I looked pretty much the way I had before I'd been turned, except for the teeth, sharper features, and the dark metallic skin of my lower arms and legs. Vash seemed to know the signs. He made a rumbling sound, lying back on his pillows.
"You're not undead. I'd be able to sense if you were," he said after a minute. "But you are no longer human. A Dhampir."
"Yup. Dhampir with extra damp." I pulled the mask back up. "Matir seemed okay with it. He didn't remark on it one way or the other."
"I imagine he had other, more pressing concerns." Vash's gray eyes darkened with concern. “Was Ashur killed?”
I shook my head. “No. I hurt him pretty bad, but he ran.”
“You are in danger for the rest of your days until he is dead.” The sly humor left the monk’s face. "But even more than Ashur, you must be careful to monitor your own behavior. You may have escaped un-life, but you are a predator now. You will start thinking like a predator without even realizing it, losing your humanity one convenient lapse of empathy at a time. That is something to remember... to meditate on and think about during the times when you are tempted by the easy way out."
Is that why it had been so easy to stab Violetta when she was beginning for mercy? That line of thinking led to some dark places. I eased up off the chair, grimacing as my knees creaked. "I can’t really tell from the inside of my head. I'd be grateful if you'll be there to help remind me."
The monk sniffed, closing his eyes. "Of course. Istvan is still hopelessly attached to this place, and damned if I'm going to leave him here by himself. He’s in the mood to nest, I think. Now... I assume you're going to find Suri, yes?"
"Yeah," I said. "As soon as I figure out how to find her."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Try Cutthroat."
"Cutthroat?" I frowned, puzzled, and then punched my palm with my other fist. "Wait - you're right! She's her Bonded Mount. She might know where Suri is. Not that she can tell us."
"Of course she can." The corner of Vash's mouth quirked. “Loudly, I’m sure.”
"Maybe we can make some adjustments to Karalti's saddle and carry her around somehow." I rubbed my face, thinking. "I'll go talk to Rin."
"You do that. I must sleep and heal, then relearn how to fight with this arm." He heaved a deep, tired sigh. His HP was less than half its usual total, sitting in the weird greenish-orange part of the meter. "What did you do with Soma?"
"Tried to repair the relationship and make good," I said. "He's on the way back to Litvy."
Vash's expression darkened. "If he ever finds out you are a Dhampir, that could be enough for him to urge for civil war. You should have held him hostage for a while. Put him to work here."
"I thought about it. But there are other things he doesn't know about me that grant me an advantage."
"Hurrm." He shook his head. "We shall see. Now go back to your dragon, dog - I must rest."
"Alright. Rest well." I turned, but before I was out of earshot, I looked back over my shoulder at him. "You going to call me a dog forever?"
"It’s a compliment. The dog is the noblest of animals, second only to the common house fly." He scrunched his face up and farted. "Dogs are honest. Loyal. Eager to learn. We should all be better off if we were more like them."
"Count Dogula it is, then." I winked at him, and his dry chuckle followed me outside.
Karalti was sunbathing, lying flat on her back in a big patch of sunlight so intense that it made my eyes sting. I reequipped my helmet and went to stand over her. "Okay, Tidbit. Let's go get some rest. We've got a big night ahead of us."
"Sounds good to me." She rolled over and pushed herself up on hands and knees, letting out a happy sigh. "Snuggling?"
“Yeah. Maybe even extra snuggling.”
“I like that.” Karalti caught my hand, and before I could lead her off, she gently pulled me to a stop. Her brilliant eyes caught my gaze and held them. "And hey… about Suri. We're gonna find her, alright? She’ll be fine. But no more dying for you."
“Not if I can help it.” I reached up to smooth a lock of hair back from her cheek. "I know. Thanks."
"It’s okay." Karalti lay her head against my palm for a moment, then tugged me forward. "But hey - before we sleep, you know what we're gonna do?"
"What?"
“It’s your favorite!”
I sighed. “What?”
"Pushups!" She punched the air with her free hand. "We’re gonna train! Muscles! Stamina! Flexibility! Before we go to Dakhdir, you’ll be able to tie a knot behind your head with your ankles! How far away are you from Level 23?”
“Let me check.” I opened my HUD, checked my character sheet, and groaned. “Oh, you have to be fucking kidding me.”
“What?” Karalti tilted her head.
“I am ten fucking points off Level 23.” I sighed, shooing the window away like a fly. “This game. I swear to God.”
“I guess we’re gonna go kill a Stingcrab, too!” Karalti broke off into a run, a blur of laughter and speed. "Come on! I’ll race you to the Grand Hall!"
I smiled, and as I took off after her, I peered up at the blazing blue sky. The sun had risen, and as the darkness had done, the light was urging me to sleep. But I couldn’t. We had to get ready to fly to Dakhdir.
We were going to bring Suri home.
Thank You!
Thank you for taking this journey with Hector, Baldr, Karalti, Suri, Rin, and all the other characters who have starred in this series so far. You can pre-order the 4th book in the series, Warsinger, right here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXYHDBC
Bonus Content
The guys at Soundbooth Theatre have done an incredible job with the audiobooks for the first two ArchOn titles – Dragon Seed and Trial by Fire – including an honest to gods soundtrack. Justin Thomas James, Laurie Catherine Winkel and Jeff Hays worked their assess off to bring Hector and the others to life in these books. You can listen to the first three chapters of Trial by Fire with me and Justin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhn_ppDEPuI
I run a Facebook group where I often post snippets of the books I’m writing as I write them, so drop by the James Osiris Baldwin page on Facebook to connect.
I also run a Discord server where I chat with fans and game: https://discord.gg/H3yMEk8
If you really enjoyed reading about Hector and the gang, please consider leaving a short review. You can click here to leave a review on Amazon (all stores).
The full first-draft chapters will be posted on my Patreon for anyone who joins the $5 tier or above, and snippets will be available for everyone on Facebook. Once Trial by Fire is drafted, I will be serializing it on Royal Road shortly before it is released on Amazon – so keep an eye out. I will be letting my mailing list know when that serial begins.
Speaking of Royal Road and Patreon, I’d like to give a shoutout to all the people who made editorial suggestions and reviewed Dragon Seed on Royal Road. I’d also like to thank all my patrons, especially Eytan, Chris W, Laevus, Liz Copen (who is an author and writes urban fantasy), Sylvia, Rebecca, Jami and Erica.
I’d also like to thank Stacy Schonhardt fo
r her awesome editing, my friend R.R Virdi for his support and encouragement.
Lastly, I’d like to thank my incredible and talented wife, Canth, for doing what she does and being who she is. These books would not exist without her.
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Tarn takhrah, motherfuckers!
James.
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Dev Notes
Archemipedia Entry: Mercurions [Grade A Knowledge]
Introduction
Weird living constructs, Mercurions are the inheritor race of Zaunt. The largest island in the north of Archemi, Zaunt is an ancient place that is renowned to be the homeland of the Aesari. Once, it was a green and fertile place straight out of Norse myth, but close to five hundred years of civil unrest has stripped Zaunt down to a bare rock.
Mercurions are flawlessly beautiful, weird articulated humanoids, with sculptural features, silvery skin, white or pale gray floss-fine hair spun from silicone, and precious metal and glass eyes with ringed pupils. Other than their odd metallic skin, they are notable for their wing-like 'ears' – actually a cosmetic feature incorporated into their original design by their progenitors.
Many Mercurions make for unpleasant company: they are a cold, aloof species, keeping to themselves and continuing with an ongoing civil war in their homeland, Zaunt. Mercurions on the Artanese continent fall into four categories: political spies, refugees fleeing the civil war on Zaunt, merchants, and criminals seeking employment.
Archemi Online Chronicles Boxset Page 129
