“Who?”
“Your guest, the sailor. He’ll take me to a mage in the big city, and maybe the mage can help me.”
“And then you’ll go back to that girl?” I thought I detected something not quite right with the vila’s question.
I stared at her, doing my best to look puzzled.
“To her? After what she said to me and, more importantly, after I found you? Of course not. You’re the only girl for me! By the way, what’s your name?”
“Elmilora. But is what you’re saying true?” The vila let go of my hand and clasped her own hands to her chest. “Honest?”
“Elmilora. Look me in the eyes. Could they lie to you?” I looked deeply at her.
“Then let’s hurry over to the island. I’ll ask the Supreme to let your sailors go so you can sail wherever you need.”
The vila led from above, and twenty minutes later, we arrived at a fairly large island littered with green trees, each with something like a crown on top of them. The roar of voices swept over the island, as something like twenty of the beauties flew above it chattering away. Not one of them was listening to anyone else, from what I could tell.
“So where’s the captain?” I asked Elmilora.
“We have to go see the Supreme first.” She was serious for once. “Nothing on this island can happen without her permission. Let’s go.”
She took me by the hand and led me deep into the island. The forest grew thicker, and the aerial hubbub grew more distant the further we went. Finally, we arrived at a large round field, in the middle of which was a raised area capped with an empty throne.
Elimlora’s voice rang out. “I request an immediate audience with the Supreme! By right of the bride!”
The whole thing made me uneasy. What is the “right of the bride”? Am I being played for a fool?
My thoughts were interrupted by the flutter of wings. A stunningly beautiful, if no longer young, vila flew down onto the throne. Her wings were larger than those of the others, she was wearing a golden cloak, and there was a thin gold ring around her head.
Elmilora bowed. I thought for a second, decided that my back wouldn’t be worse for wear, and figured I only had one shot at a first impression. That vila could have been smarter than the others, after all.
“Come closer,” said a melodious voice.
I straightened up. The supreme vila—it was definitely her—sat on her throne looking at us. Suddenly, two more girls appeared from goodness knows where behind the throne, and they were also different from all the others I’d seen on the island. They had sabers hanging from their belts that were clearly magical—light blue electric sparks flashed up and down their blades.
Elmilora took me by the sleeve and motioned forward with her dimpled chin.
“Right,” I said and nodded.
We walked over to the foot of the hill.
“Who are you, traveler? Where are you from, and what are you looking for in my lands?” The Supreme lowered her head slightly as she grilled me.
“I’m Hagen. Hagen from Tronje,” I replied courteously.
Where did Tronje come from? I needed to say something, but what subconscious depths was that buried in? Anyway. Tronje it would be. It sounded nice, anyway.
“I’m a warrior and an adventurer.”
“I see that. But why does my subject Elmilora call herself your bride? Did you propose to her?” The Supreme let a half-smile flit across her face, though there was ice in her eyes.
Damn doll. She had me between a rock and a hard place. If I said no, Elmilora would probably tear me to pieces. Either that or the Supreme herself or one of the beauties from behind the throne would do the job for her. If I said yes…I had no idea what would happen, though I doubted it was anything good. My heart was in my throat. Marriage, I decided, was the better of two evils, and that way I’d get to see who could out-talk whom—and I was a professional.
“This is the first I’m hearing of Elmilora’s plans for our future, though I don’t have any problem with them. Unfortunately, I can’t get married right now due to extenuating circumstances. I would be happy to do so, however, once I handle my business, though I need your help for that.”
“So you are willing to marry Elmilora, a vila?” The Supreme flew toward me.
“Once everything I need to do, my mission, and my problems are taken care of. Certainly.”
The Supreme shook her head and smiled again.
“Well, then that settles it. Elmilora, Randiana, get everything ready for the betrothal. In the meantime, Hagen from Tronje and I will discuss the help our people can give him.”
My, apparently, bride (What?) and one of the guards flew off with a rustling of feathers.
“Simalina,” said the Supreme to the second guard. “Tell them to prepare for the great rite.”
“Yes, Great Mother.” The guard nodded and leaped into the sky.
“Well, Hagen, you’re a fool.” The Supreme reclined easily on her throne, threw one leg over the other, dangled her shoes from them, and looked at me from under her cloak. “You’re an idiot. You obviously don’t know that vilas who marry mortals of their own free will become mortal?”
“No,” I mumbled.
“That’s what I thought. Or that when mortals promise to marry vilas and don’t keep their word, they are subject to one of Fayroll’s most powerful curses?”
“No.” I wasn’t enjoying finding out what a blockhead I was. I was enjoying even less the fact that she was telling me that to my face.
“Or that if they keep their word and marry a vila but aren’t faithful to her, they get the same curse—you didn’t know that either?”
“No.”
“Fool.” The Supreme was obviously enjoying the situation.
“What do you get out of the marriage?” I was very interested to hear what she would say.
“Nothing at all. I’m just having fun. Also, I’m the ruler, and I take care of my subjects. May they be happy!”
“Got it. So what am I supposed to do now? Get married?”
“Get married.”
“But I have things to do!” I replied nervously.
“Nobody’s rushing you. Finish them, and then get married. Go through the betrothal rite, and then go do what you need to do. By the way, you obviously played on Elmilora’s weakness for masculine fragility. She has a thing for that, though the rest aren’t any better. So, what do you really need?”
“Captain Gul and his three sailors.” I realized there was no need to try to impress her anymore.
“We have them. They’re stubborn, and they don’t want to marry anyone. They’re smarter than you are, apparently.”
“More experienced. But really, what’s so bad? Elmilora is beautiful, and she has a great figure. I’ll buy her a house and have somewhere to come home to.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” The Supreme smiled once again, and there was something about it that I didn’t like at all.
“So, can you give me the sailors? As a present for our betrothal?” I smiled back at her.
“Maybe.” She kept smiling. “Maybe not. But if you do one thing for me…”
Oh, thank God. Finally, a normal give-and-take relationship.
“Tell me, your honor.” I prepared to listen.
“It’s easy. Or it may not be. Anyway, we have some pirates settled in not far from the marsh. I need you to kill their leader and get something for me: a signet ring he stripped from our seer Horala when he killed her.”
Look at that—the stars were aligning. “No problem. I do have some questions, though.”
“So will you do it?” The Supreme was obviously capable of taking the bull by the horns.
You have a new quest offer: Horala’s Signet Ring.
Task: Kill the pirate leader and get Horala’s signet ring from him.
Reward:
900 experience
Captain Gul and his sailors will be released from the vilas’ island.
+10% affection
for you from the Supreme Vila
Warning.
This quest will be almost impossible to complete on your own. You should probably take 4-5 friends with you.
Accept?
“Sounds good. But on the condition that I get some help from you.”
“That depends on what you need. I won’t send my girls to fight.”
“I’ll do the fighting; I’m used to it. But I need to see where their camp is. So I can plan my strategy.”
“That’s easy,” the Supreme said with a wave of her hand. “After your betrothal, Elmilora will take you wherever you want to go and tell you everything you need to know.”
“And guards? Do you they have any guards?”
“Oh, please.” The Supreme pursed her lips. “Just distract them.”
Simalina and Randiana flapped back onto the field. “Supreme, everything is ready for the rite. They’re all waiting!”
“Well, Hagen from Tronje, let’s go. Your rite is waiting.”
There was nothing for it but to do what I had to do. The Supreme got up off her throne, though she walked next to me instead of flying.
“So, what will I have to do?” I asked.
“Nothing much. I’ll perform the whole thing, so just do what I tell you to do and answer my questions.”
“Whatever you say. I hear and obey.”
We made our way through a small copse of trees and walked out onto an equally small open area that appeared to be the very center of the island. It was just starting to get dark and, perhaps just for the romance of it, a bonfire was burning. Around it, stood a hundred or more chattering vilas. A stone column covered in runes was next to the fire.
The Supreme pointed me to a place to the left of the fire. On the other side, I saw Elmilora, who looked very nervous. She waved when she saw me looking at her. I waved back, of course. Obviously, I was a gentleman.
The Supreme flapped her wings to fly up a meter and a half off the ground.
“Sisters, today is a happy day! One of us found herself a man, a destiny, and a chance at a new life. Each of us dreams of getting that chance—our last chance. Elmilora was successful, and I would like to believe that each of you will be, sooner or later, as well. May you each have your chance at happiness and life.”
The clearing was completely quiet, which I found surprising and somewhat frightening. A hundred girls, even if they weren’t exactly real, not making a sound—that didn’t even happen in Goethe’s Faust. Have you ever seen even two quiet for more than a minute? And here there were a hundred of them!
“Elmilora Krakh Taug, come here and lay your hand on the vila altar given to us forever by the Fair Goddess Mesmerta to hold the warmth of her heart and memory of her blood.”
“Elmilora walked over to the column and rested her palm on top of it.
“Hagen of Tronje, do the same.”
I walked over and put my hand on the column. It suddenly grew warm, and a ray of light unexpectedly shot up.
The vilas grew nervous and murmured to each other. Elmilora’s eyes widened.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her. “Is that not supposed to happen?”
“Not like that,” she said. “That’s never happened!”
I glanced at the Supreme and noticed an entire range of complex emotions chasing each other across her face—confusion, fear, and everything in between. Still, she quickly regained control of herself and addressed the group.
“The Goddess consecrated the union of these two hearts with that sign. The light signifies that their life will be easy and bright!”
The vilas calmed down, with the more delicate ones among them wiping away tears.
“Elmilora Krakh Taug,” continued the Supreme, “are you prepared to bind your life to that of this person, to be his true and loving wife?”
“Yes, Supreme,” said Elmilora in her lovely voice.
“Laird Hagen of Tronje, are you prepared to bind your life to this vila, to be her respectful and faithful husband?”
“Yes, Supreme, I give you my word, though, of course, I first need to finish a quest I hold dearer than life itself.”
I prayed she wouldn’t ask me to be specific about which quest I meant. Children of the Goddess guaranteed me eternal bachelorhood, but I didn’t want to mention it out loud. Not even to NPCs.
“A man’s debt is holy, and his word should be kept,” said the Supreme with a nod. “But your union is blessed by the Goddess, and with the power vested in me, I, therefore, call you Betrothed. From this moment onward you are one of a chosen few: the bridegroom of a vila.”
You are the bridegroom of a vila.
You get:
Friendship with the vilas throughout Fayroll.
Title: Bridegroom
You can always count on the support of the vilas throughout Fayroll.
All marshes are 50% more passable.
Note: If you do not fulfill the conditions of the betrothal rite, the following will occur:
You will suffer from the Scourge of the Goddess curse.
In addition to the curse, you will also have several penalties:
All marshes will be more difficult to pass through, and you will have a 75% higher chance of dying in them.
You will be 50% less attractive to female NPCs.
Title: Betrayer
Apparently, swamps and marshes were now home sweet home. So what was next?
“I will now announce the conditions of the Betrothal,” proclaimed the Supreme. Sparks from the bonfire shot skyward.
“Elmilora Kraukh Taug, you are charged with waiting for your bridegroom, Hagen of Tronje, patiently and honorably. If your behavior is considered to defame you, the Betrothal will be considered annulled. Do you agree?”
“Yes, Supreme!” Elmilora clenched her fists and clasped them against her chest.
“Hagen of Tronje. How much time do you need to fulfill your promise?”
“I’m not sure, Supreme. Maybe six months, maybe a year. It’s anyone’s guess.”
“I rule that in six months, you will return here to continue this conversation. Be very afraid of deceiving us—the holy altar detects all lies, and the vengeance of the vilas will be terrible!”
“I understand, Supreme,” I said, somewhat disappointed.
“The rite is complete!” The Supreme threw her hands in the air, and they were accompanied by another shower of sparks.
From the altar, another column of light again shot skyward. Judging by the Supreme’s nervous face, it, too, was not what they were used to seeing.
She came down to earth and started speaking in her normal voice.
“Okay, girlies, go have fun. Hagen and I need to talk.”
Elmilora’s lips started to pout, though her friends grabbed her by the elbows and dragged her over to the fire.
“Let’s go, warrior,” said the Supreme. “You can tell me what you have going on with Mesmerta.”
We walked off to the side, and I asked her a question. “Are you sure you want me to tell you? In much wisdom, there is much grief.”
“Your grief isn’t my grief.” The Supreme looked at me coldly. “These little fools trusted my explanations, accepting them even though the altar had never lit up like that before. But I would like to know about your relationship with Mesmerta, who long ages ago left the created world.”
“Well, look,” I said, as I thought about how best to tell her. “Not long ago, I helped a funny little green creature, and she asked me to help her sister. They have something to do with your goddess—and that happens to be the small but important thing I have to do, you know?”
“So that’s what the changes in the magical fabric of Fayroll have been about,” the Supreme said, fixing her enormous green eyes on me. “Apparently you helped one of the Keepers. We’re all in for some interesting times if you’re successful.”
“What will happen?”
“It’ll be interesting.” The Supreme obviously had no intention of explaining anything to me. �
��If you live long enough, you’ll get to see it. If you live long enough, and if you finish in less than six months, of course, come right back here. Understood?”
She walked off into the darkness. I decided that enough was enough and logged out of the game.
After a visit to the shower and the refrigerator, I called Elvira.
“El, hi!”
“Hey, let me call you back.” She hung up.
“Whatever you say, my dear,” I said and pressed the button to end the call.
I sat down to write my next article. The text was, as was becoming my custom, already in my head, and I just needed to get it down on paper. That took me two hours, and I had just entered the last period when my phone rang.
“Okay, Kif, listen. We’re flying in three days, not two. Well, if we don’t count today, then in two.”
“So the day after tomorrow?” I said. “You have me all confused. What are we counting?”
“Yes, in the evening, the day after tomorrow. We’ll be there for nine days and ten nights. Do you have everything you need?”
“What do you mean, ‘everything’? My honor, my conscience, socks, sausages, canned fish, a modem? What’s ‘everything’?”
“Yes, and socks. A swimsuit, sunscreen, body lotion?”
“El, body what? Relax. I have a swimsuit, sandals, shorts, and my bandana. I’m ready. Oh, I just need to buy a couple packs of cigarettes.”
“But I’m not! Tomorrow morning at 10, we’re going shopping. I’ll be there in a few minutes, so I’ll spend the night, and we can leave from your place. Otherwise, it’ll never happen—I know you. Okay, that’s it, over and out.”
Phew boy. In the space of three hours, I’d been snagged by two women. It was becoming a trend…
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Calm Before the Storm
Shopping with a woman… It’s a trial all mature, traditionally oriented males go through. It starts innocently enough at school and university.
“You girls go buy the food, and we guys will get the alcohol.”
Then you start dating and get married, at which point it becomes a merciless battle of wills to see if the woman can wear you down.
“Does this look good on me?”
More Than a Game Page 30
