Fractured Spirit (Alpha World Book 5)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  Alburet had started to follow, but stopped and nodded. He figured it must be some part of the ceremony, so he was willing to wait the minute it would take for the trio of ladies to be seated. As he waited, Ivonna stepped up next to him. She was decked in a suit of full plate Infernal Steel armor. He glanced at the former barmaid, surprised to see her here, “I see the guild emblem on your left there, Ivonna. Welcome to Alpha Company. I hope you’ll be at the welcoming party tonight at the Keep. I’m curious as to why you’re dressed for battle, though?”

  Ivonna grinned at him, “I’ve been keeping up with the guild chat. I’m looking forward to it, everyone has been so friendly so far. As for the armor, well, I was asked to do one last thing for the family that gave me a job.”

  He puzzled over her last statement as the trio of ushers came back. He turned to Grimgar as Ivonna moved aside. “Grim, that suit looks sharp on you.”

  Grimgar smiled broadly, “Aye. Today be a special day, after all.”

  “The second of Alistern’s daughters gets married today,” Alburet agreed.

  Stewart coughed once and shook his head. “You aren’t up on all of the intricacies that can happen during a marriage ceremony in this temple. You might be surprised, so enjoy the wedding.”

  Grimgar nudged Stewart, “Aich, shush ye. Iffin ye will follow me, Alburet, I be showin’ ye to ye seat.”

  As Alburet followed Grimgar, he heard Stewart greet Ivonna and ask if she would like to be taken to her position. Alburet was led to the second pew, where his wives were seated. He greeted Stacia’s grandmother in the first pew. She returned the greeting warmly, engaging the four of them in pleasant conversation until Lilith showed up a few minutes later. Lilith exchanged greetings with them as she took her seat.

  “It will be starting soon,” Lilith told them as she sat. She looked back at them with a grin, “I’ve been waiting for this day for such a long time.”

  Stacia grinned in turn, her eyes shining as happiness radiated off of her. “Aye, took them long enough.”

  Karen, Fluff, and Alburet were puzzled, but before they could ask a soft gong echoed through the Temple. It was the announcement that the ceremony was about to start. Alburet glanced back to see Alistern and Stewart chaining the doors closed. He couldn’t remember if that had been the case with his wedding. He dragged his eyes around when he heard a door open. He saw Chris, walking calmly towards the altar. Well, he looked calm, but Alburet could feel the anxiety radiating off of him from dozens of feet away.

  Chris never looked away from the door directly across from him. He licked his lips nervously as he took calming breaths, trying to steady himself for what was to come. Another gong sounded a few seconds later and the door Chris was staring at opened slowly. An acolyte dressed all in red and holding a black metal gong was the first out the door. They struck the gong with each measured step, setting the pace of the procession.

  Following the acolyte was a person dressed in Infernal Steel full plate. A shield was strapped to their back and a longsword hung from their hip. Alburet recognized Ivonna from her armor, and he briefly wondered where Almira was. Deirdre followed the armored figure, dressed in a gown of crimson panels held together with black lacing. Ivory skin flashed between the panels with every step as she seemed to float on her black heels. Her hair was tied back, exposing her long neck. She held her head up, giving her a regal bearing as she stepped in time with the procession. As she caught sight of Chris, her eyes sparkled, and the truest smile Alburet had ever seen settled on her lips. Chris was equally happy as he stood up straighter, as if trying to be better for the woman that walked towards him.

  The next person in the procession was the High Priest. The old but powerful man carried a black bound book in his hand. Directly behind the priest, in a gown of the deepest jet with streaks of bright red, came Almira. Her dress did not hint at her figure nor display it and her shoes were low red heels that only barely peeked out from under her long dress. Her hair was tied back, allowing her elven ears to be on display, something she rarely did normally. She kept her eyes focused on the altar and the man who stood there. Alburet could feel her deep anxiety and anticipation, and was puzzled by it.

  After Almira came Erin. She wore a regal, though subdued, gown that spoke of her coming social standing without outshining Deirdre. The top was a deep red that faded to black, ending two inches from her ankles to allow her red heels to be seen. Her hair was styled into an elaborate coiffure that almost seemed to float on its own. Her eyes darted to Wilbur, who sat a few spots down from Alburet’s group.

  Erin was followed in turn by Marian. Marian was dressed almost as plainly as Almira, but her dress at least hinted at the lush figure the Crowley women had all inherited from Lilith. Her eyes didn’t stray from the altar, but a small pool of disappointment sat in her heart. Alburet could guess why, as he hadn’t seen Violet in attendance. His lips puckered slightly as he wondered why Violet wasn’t there. She hadn’t been in the group that had just completed the one month testing. He gave his head a slight shake to clear the thought, though he would have to follow up on it before the reception.

  Emily was the last one in the line of people; she wore the same dress as she had during Stacia’s wedding. She was still the most conservatively dressed, but only slightly more so than Almira. As the group finally reached the altar, the Paladin stepped forward before Chris as the priest and the acolyte stepped behind the altar.

  The opening of the ceremony was just as his had been, with the Paladin asking Chris to identify the woman he wished as his bride. Chris stepped forward, taking Deirdre’s hand in his and leading her the two steps to stand directly before the altar.

  “The groom has made his selection,” Ivonna intoned in the same clear, loud voice she had been using. “The others will sit and watch, so they may know what one day they might obtain.” As Ivonna turned to lead the others from the small dais, Grimgar stood up.

  Grimgar took two steps forward from his spot in the front row. “High Priest, I beg a boon before the Dark Lord’s altar on this holy day.”

  Alburet, Karen and Fluff all froze at this seeming rudeness. Stacia patted their hands, reaching across Fluff to include Karen, indicating that they should just wait. Blinking, Alburet waited to see what was going to happen next, fascinated by this turn of events.

  “Grimgar Smith, you intrude upon a holy union. Why do you seek a boon on such a day as today?” The high priest’s calm voice carried with ease.

  “I find meself entranced by one of the maids who was nay selected. I beg to see iffin she will accept me as the bride did accept the groom already before ye,” Grimgar’s voice reverberated with the intensity of his request.

  “Which of these maidens do you think will allow you to speak on such a day?”

  Grimgar stepped to Almira and went to both knees before her. “Almira Nighteyes, for years I been longin’ to tell ye what me heart has held. I was too in awe of ye to step forward and speak. Today though, with the love tha’ be in this Temple, I have to speak, for I fear iffin I do nay it will be forever lost to me. I be nay yer equal in combat, nor yer equal in beauty. However, I ask iffin ye might consider me yer equal in love.” He raised his head to meet her eyes, his eyes shining with emotion as he laid his heart bare before everyone in attendance.

  Almira rested her hand gently on his head, “Grimgar Smith, I too have kept hidden the emotions I have felt for you. I am not sure I will ever be your equal in skill when it comes to crafting, nor your equal when it comes to stealth. However, I will accept you as my equal in love.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she stroked his hair once. She turned to look at the High Priest, “I would be honored if the Dark Lord would grant him this boon.”

  Before the High Priest could respond a deep clear chime echoed through the building, resonating from the altar itself. A single word then rolled through those assembled, the power and weight of it easily conveying the identity of the speaker. “Granted.”

  The High Pri
est was the first over the shock of the brief divine presence. “As He wills it, so shall it be. Grimgar Smith and Almira Nighteyes, please approach the altar of the Dark Lord.” As the others took their seats and the second duo joined the first at the altar, the High Priest spoke to the crowd. “It has been close to two hundred years since the last double union in this temple. It is the first time in over five hundred years that the Dark Lord has given his blessing by speaking during the ceremony. You four have been especially blessed and today’s unions shall be marked as special and remembered for generations to come. May your lives be filled with the happiness and joy you deserve.”

  It was at that point that Alburet realized that he hadn’t felt anger or any other negative emotion from Chris and Deirdre when Grimgar had interrupted the service. Instead, he had felt happiness and acceptance. His lips ticked up as he realized that they must have all known this was going to happen. Stacia nodded ever so slightly when he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, giving his hand a squeeze in acknowledgement as the double wedding proceeded.

  When both couples had accepted the pledges of their mates respectively, the High Priest confirmed them married. Each newly married couple kissed, then headed down the aisle. As they passed each pew, the people seated followed. By the time the crowd spilled out of the Temple doors, the two sets of newlyweds were already pulling away in their respective carriages. Alburet spotted their driver sixth in the line of carriages, waiting patiently for those in front to load up and move on. Those without carriages either milled around chatting, or started walking.

  Once they were in their carriage and moving, Karen spoke up. “So that was all arranged ahead of time, right?”

  “Aye. I found out when I went to tell me sis tha’ we were here,” Stacia told her. “Deirdre and Almira planned it out the other day. As the priest said, it ha’ been done before, just nay recently. On top of tha’, the Dark Lord himself blessed the unions today. Iffin I recall me schoolin’ tha’ bodes well for them. It confers a small buff to both couples.”

  “The Gods really can affect the world with just a single word,” Fluff murmured.

  “Aye, an’ He has taken a liken’ to our husband,” Stacia added.

  “We didn’t get a buff when we pledged a few days ago,” Karen pointed out.

  “Good things come to those who wait?” Alburet half asked.

  Karen was about to say something when a shiver ran through her body. “Gah, what the hell was that?” she asked. The others all looked at her in surprise, as no one else had felt the chill. “Wait, I was the only one?”

  “Maybe the Gods don’t like to be doubted,” Alburet deadpanned.

  Karen eyed him for a moment then let out a deep breath. “I’m not used to the idea of Gods that can really affect the world. Sorry about that,” she said after a moment.

  At that moment both Karen and Fluff gasped.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Both Fluffball and Karen felt a sharp tug at their very core, as if their souls had just been plucked like a harp string. As both calmed down from that moment of pure feeling, they paused. Mouths opening, they looked at the two across from them before they looked at each other. Alburet and Stacia could feel their shock, then their brief moment of fear followed by a deep understanding and love.

  “Thank you,” Fluff finally said as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She grabbed Karen and held her tightly. Karen did the same in return.

  Stacia and Alburet watched them with smiles, as they felt the love from the duo across from them double and double again. “I be thinkin’ their blood gift kicked in a mite earlier than we had been thinkin’ it would,” Stacia murmured softly.

  “Yes. Yes, I do believe you’re right,” Alburet replied as he felt the love between Karen and Fluff continue to grow. “How does it feel to know, with absolute certainty, that the one you love loves you back just as much?”

  Fluff and Karen pulled back from the embrace the barest fraction to look at him and Stacia. The love shared between the quartet radiated and grew more intense. “This is why I couldn’t turn you down any more. Knowing the love you felt for me, it was too much to deny. I could no longer hide from what I felt for you, when I could feel your love for me.” He slipped carefully to his knees next to their seat, so he could embrace them. “Thank you for helping me see your love and accepting me even with all my errors and faults.”

  Karen pulled him into the embrace, holding him as tightly as she did Fluff. Fluff sandwiched him with almost as much force. Both of them were able to feel his love, but also his sadness and pain for what he had done when he spoke of it. That only made them love him more as they knew that he carried that hurt still, waiting for them to be able to forgive him. He was kissed passionately by one, then the other, before Stacia coughed gently.

  “We be truly equals now, me lovely sister-wives. May our love only ever grow for each other. Ya will in time know the pain of when ya hurt one of us. When ya do, recall this moment, this purity of love. Ya also must remember tha’ we have a mission of the utmost importance to us. We must complete the Overlord’s quest, otherwise our bond mayhap be broken. I can nay even handle the barest thought of tha’.” Stacia said. She hitched her dress up so she could join Alburet, kneeling beside him so she could wrap her wings around them all. Alburet hadn’t noticed when she shifted to her true form.

  Fluff and Karen exchanged a brief look, nodding in unison before they leaned around Alburet to kiss their other sister-wife. Once they pulled back, Fluff spoke up, “I will feel bad if we hurt Marysue, but I can’t stand the idea of losing any of you now. To truly feel the love that I’ve longed for all my life… I can’t go back to not feeling it. But can we at least try to group with them as much as we can?”

  “We will,” Alburet told her, feeling her kernel of regret at the potential loss of friends. “We will do the best we can, but we won’t hold back just for their sake, either. What I do now, I do for you three. You are all I have left in the world.”

  The carriage slowed as he finished speaking, prompting Stacia to return to her human guise. “We be at the inn, sir,” the driver called out.

  Alburet kissed each of them briefly before he was released from their grasp. “Thank you,” Alburet said as he opened the door and got out. He brushed at his slightly rumpled suit before handing the ladies out one by one. As he helped Fluff down he whispered to her, “You won’t feel emotions unless they are strong or you focus on the person. You’ll probably feel lust from a number of men, hold to the knowledge that not one of them will hurt you. None of us will let them.”

  Fluffball took a deep breath and nodded, stepping aside for Karen. “Okay,” her reply was just as soft.

  As he handed Karen out he whispered to her as well. “Stick with Fluff. You’ll both be feeling emotions of those around you.”

  Karen nodded as she took Fluff’s arm. “I will always look after my most precious snuggle pillow.”

  Fluff’s cheeks burned as she felt the lust and love behind Karen’s words. “Karen,” Fluff whispered, almost pleadingly, still trying to adjust to being able to feel the emotions of her lover.

  “Yes?” Karen asked with twinkling eyes. “Did you want a kiss?”

  Fluff shook her head, though her lips puckered the tiniest amount. “No…”

  Karen leaned in and kissed the lips Fluff had puckered. “I know you wanted it. We can’t deceive each other when we can feel each other’s desires.”

  Fluff let out a sigh of contentment as she bowed her head. “I’m going to have to learn how to accept even more.”

  “Aye. We will all be learnin’ new things,” Stacia told her as she took Fluff’s other arm. “There be a bit of a wait yet, before the reception. Shall we be finding our table?”

  “Not a bad idea,” Alburet said. “Shall we, ladies?”

  They formed a long chain of linked arms with Karen holding Fluff’s arm, who was connected on the other side by Alburet, followed by Stacia on the other end. Wa
lking into the cleared area set aside for the reception, they were met by Stewart.

  “Your table is the first one to the right of the head table,” Stewart told them.

  Attention people of Stormguard!

  By the decree of King Percy Justiceson, from this day forward all minions shall be free to accompany their masters within the walls of Stormguard. It is no longer a crime for demons or undead to be present within the city, though the owner of a minion will be held responsible for any damage caused by that minion.

  Everyone in the area read through the pop-up. Some faces reflected blank astonishment, while a few began crying tears of joy and relief. Several others let out whoops of joy as they summoned their minions to their sides.

  Lips curling up into a broad grin, Alburet chuckled, “Looks like the King did as he said he would.”

  Blinking, Stewart looked at Alburet, “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”

  “I did ask for something like this once,” Alburet told the still reeling Half-Infernal. “Is Tabitha going to join the feast tonight?”