by Skyler Grant
That did make sense, although I hadn’t really meant it literally.
“How did you get here Maria?” I asked.
“That squirrelly little man found me,” Maria said. “He wishes to be either my spymaster or my tailor. I’ve informed him I need either.”
“Insects really aren’t royal attire,” Spider said.
Maria shot him a venomous look. She hadn’t changed in her time away, her body still covered in a constantly crawling array of spiders that did afford her some modesty, even if it was also creepy as hell. All spiders everywhere also tended to report to her—she really did have both roles already filled.
“I however have found him useful. They arrived with the city that appeared outside. I assume that is your doing,” Elsora said. She was wearing a new dress of clinging black that did seem to have something of the styles I’d seen in the city.
“The city would have been destroyed unless I did something. I used a wish to save the people here. The djinni wound up bringing it here, because she thought it would be funny,” I said, in an effort to explain the situation.
“Because it is an intelligent city with a taste for blood that brings out the worst aspects of those that dwell in it?” Elsora asked.
“Only at night,” I said.
“Which it is here, eternally, for so long as I am around,” Elsora said. “Is this djinni attempting to drive a wedge between us?”
I didn’t think so. I hoped not.
“I think she just likes to cause trouble,” I said. “We have more guests arriving. The White and Black Queen and her palace staff. She has an invasion from another world on her doorstep and she unleashed the worst evils in the world to fight it.”
Elsora and Maria stared at me. Spider went on doing his needlework.
“Idiot,” Maria said.
“I’ll have the guest quarters prepared,” Elsora said. “Is it bad enough that I need to reach out to the other powers?”
“Worse,” I said and looked to Maria. “How much do you know about what has happened since you left?”
“After playing upon my affections and obligations to get me to assist in the murder of my own father, you took this tramp to your bed and put her in charge of your palace,” Maria said in her usual monotone. “When you grew bored with her, you found my betrayer of a mother and took her as a lover. Bored with you, the tramp reanimated the corpse of my father, who promptly showed he still possesses good taste by running away from her as fast he could manage.”
Right. She was a little pissed, and she was missing a few details like what her father was up to. Elsora was probably keeping that from her. I knew they’d both hate what came next.
“Your father left and promptly went to raise an undead army to kill the foes threatening the kingdom,” I said.
Maria pursed her lips, “Why?”
Elsora gave me a cautionary look. I knew I was on dangerous ground here, but I didn’t have time for subtleties.
“Because he views this kingdom as your birthright. He intends to either see us married or me dead, and you taking the throne.”
“Foolish. I have my own people and if I wanted you, I would have you,” Maria said. She began to pace in agitation. I couldn’t help but to admire the hints of flesh that showed between the spiders. I so did not need to go there again.
“He wants the best for you and for this Kingdom,” I said.
“Idiot. You planned to kill him again, of course. You murdered him once for this throne, it would mean nothing for you to do it again,” Maria said.
Guilty as charged.
“That’s changed. We have bigger problems. What has been unleashed means that we now have a common foe. I need him and I need your mother,” I said.
Maria was perfectly still as the spiders scurried furiously. It was an uncomfortable sight.
“Your Majesty, I’d speak with you in private,” Elsora said.
“You disapprove. I know, but between them they are the greatest general we know and the greatest fighter,” I said.
“You are telling me this, why?” Maria asked.
I hadn’t had any plans when I’d entered the room apart from asking Elsora for help. This was one of those moments when I was drowning and suddenly felt alive.
“Because I can’t do it without you,” I said. “Because your father won’t fight for me without you. Because your mother won’t fight beside him without you. I need you, Maria.”
“So, this is you courting?” Maria asked. “What do you expect me to say? What do you expect me to do, when you have betrayed my confidence at every turn?”
I supposed I had. It had been intentional with her father. I made the choice that would give me the Kingdom even though I knew it would hurt her. I knew she’d hate Elsora. Her mother was the only situation where things were truly more complicated than they appeared.
“We are allies,” I said.
“Helping me to kill the Rat King only goes so far. We are past it,” Maria said. “That debt has been paid in full.”
“That is fair,” I said. “Do it then to put your family back together.”
“I could put my family back together without saving your Kingdom,” Maria said. “Idiot. Try harder.”
“What do you want, Maria? I’d offer you my hand and make your father happy, if I thought you wanted it. I’ve treated you poorly and I need you. Name your price,” I said.
Elsora looked furious.
Maria looked broken as she always did. There was something so disconnected about her, so inhuman after being raised by spiders.
“I will intercede on your behalf with my father,” Maria said. “I may not kill my mother, but I will make you no promises. I have not decided on what you owe, but when the time comes you shall pay it.”
Well, that was just about the worst deal ever. I really shouldn’t agree, but I kept falling in bed with the Sardonis family. Literally, for the most part.
“If you want to pop in and make a better deal, now would be the time,” I thought to Yvera.
“We can’t fight that ship and Leosi at the same time. We need her. Just be careful, Liam, she loves you and deserves better than to have her heart broken,” Yvera said.
Yvera liked Maria. I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised. After me, Maria had been her second worshiper.
“Okay,” I said. “We’ll figure it out. Elsora, do you have any way to get into contact with either of them?”
Spider cleared his throat. “A ship matching the description of the Vainglory recently put in at Copperhelm.”
“Copperhelm?” I asked.
“You briefly met one of their ambassadors,” Elsora said. “An old mining settlement turned into a fortress along our northern border. Dwarves mostly. They are independent, but in an awkward position. The elves dislike them and they have no support from us.”
“What is Cobalt doing there? She’s supposed to be looking for Maria,” I said.
“Whatever her reasons, we have a gateway there. I can get you there and quickly,” Elsora said.
“We’ll start with Cobalt then,” I said.
Maria looked between us. “She has much to answer for. I hope for your sake that she says the right things.”
I wasn’t really concerned that Maria would hurt Cobalt, I didn’t think she could. I’d fought beside Maria, she was great at barehanded carnage, but nothing next to her mom.
“Is there anything else I need to be aware of?” I asked Elsora.
Elsora said dryly, “You want the quick summary? The war with Theys is going in our favor. Our raids on their shipping have been something their military is unable to prevent and we’ve claimed numerous contracts. There are rumors they are using their remaining clout to hire mercenaries. Leosi has largely pacified things within our borders.”
“How big is his army now?” I asked.
“Massive,” Elsora said. “They may not have the armor or the skill of many forces, but as a swarm they are said to be relentless.”
“We making any friends?” Ashley asked.
“Not as many as I’d like,” Elsora said. “I’d hoped we might be able to portray Leosi and his army as being at your command. Leosi is no fool and has been playing his own game. He’s creating just enough doubt out there to keep us from alliances.”
“Smart,” I said. If a man was defined by the caliber of his enemies, I was going to be something one of these days. I was regularly playing games out of my league, but I was getting there.
“He is. And since you won’t let me speak with you in private, we need to do this here. This isn’t going to work out the way you want it to, Liam,” Elsora said with a pointed look towards Maria. “Even if she does convince him to go along with you in the face of the current crisis, his objective won’t change. Surround yourself with the Sardonis and this castle will again become theirs in people’s eyes, not yours, even if you remain the one on the throne.”
“I do not care about this throne,” Maria said.
“It doesn’t matter what you want,” Elsora said. “Blood matters. Lineage matters. I can work wonders and if Liam sits on this throne alone long enough I can make him belong there, but perception is vital.”
I reached out to touch Elsora’s shoulder. She was tense. “Thank you,” I said. “I know you’re looking out for my interests, for our interests, but I cannot stress enough how bad the situation is. We need them. Do what you have to, make this work.”
Elsora took a deep breath. “Permission to retain Spider as our spymaster?”
I glanced towards Maria.
“Despite his name, I have no claim on this man,” Maria said. “It is foolish that anyone would think I might.”
“Fine,” I said.
“And I’m going to have to play dirty. We’ll be dropping a lot of bodies. There will be chances for things to go wrong,” Elsora said.
“I helped to unleash a massive disaster. Whatever happens, we’ll handle it,” I said.
“Does this mean I’ll be an assassin that actually gets to assassinate people?” Ashley asked. “Because I have to tell you. I’d love some class quests.”
“Do you have time to spend the night?” Elsora asked.
Maria gave me a dangerous look. I so was not making any public decisions in which bed I was sleeping right now.
“I think we’d better be on our way.”
*****
Half an hour later we’d relocated to another portal room, this one holding the gate to Copperhelm.
“They aren’t answering us, Majesty,” said the servant assisting us. “What we do normally is send word along that a guest will be coming through and they acknowledge. Keeps from panicking anyone on the other end.
“Trouble?” Ashley asked.
“Makes sense, if Cobalt is there,” I said. “Weapons out everyone. I’ll lead the way.”
Readying my shield and Intemperance, I stepped through the gate and the world vanished around me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lights were out on the other side of the portal. Fortunately, with Intemperance ablaze I could see. The portal chamber here looked to be in some sort of cavern, probably part of the old mine complex.
I moved forward and the others came after me. We had kept things simple, the usual group, only adding Maria.
“Nobody home,” Walt said.
I led the way into the hallway. Two corpses were sprawled out here, guards from the look of them. They looked to have been killed by arrows, every joint of their armor looking to sprout at least one. They’d been picked apart.
Quest Granted
A Bloody Time In The Mines
You’ve managed to find trouble and bloodshed. It’s truly astonishing how that seems to just follow you around. Find out what happened here and see it doesn’t happen to you.
“Great shots,” Ashley said.
Walt bent down and dipped his fingers in the blood, tracing a smear across the floor.
“You’re a bit of a freak now that you have a Goddess in you,” Ashley said.
“Walt is now a Goddess?” Maria asked.
“Sort of. Me, too. It is really badass,” Ashley said.
“It is not freaky,” Walt said in a chastising tone. “The blood is fresh. They haven’t been dead long. Whoever killed them is probably still here.”
“Elves right? It has to be the elves,” I said.
“Well, of course it’s elves. We know they were having issues with them and the corpses are filled with arrows,” Walt said. “It’s only logical.”
“Why now?” Ashley asked.
“It does seem coincidental timing,” Walt said, wiping his fingers clean on the corpse and rising back to his feet.
“Either Cobalt brought a fight with her or it’s connected to the issues in the desert. Let’s keep going and see what we can find out,” I said.
Walt conjured a swarm of fireflies to help us see going forward and I guided the way through the corridor. It was a single, long hallway.
“Why are the lights out, if things happened so recently?” Walt said.
“Dwarves usually live underground. They may have some sort of night vision. If so, the darkness is probably their doing when they came under attack,” Ashley said.
That made sense. It was inconvenient for us, but if an invader wasn’t ready with a light source it would put them at a big disadvantage.
We came to a junction, one passage leading downwards and another slanted upwards. The sounds of combat came from each direction.
“The Vainglory would be outside,” Ashley said. “That would be the upwards passage.”
“My mother is that way,” Maria said, tilting her head towards the other passage. “I can feel her like another walking across my web. I don’t like it.”
“You don’t actually have a web,” Ashley said.
“I am aware. That makes it all the more uncomfortable,” Maria said.
Right. Regardless, it gave a direction. I led the way through the downward passage.
The dwarves had fought to defend this hall. The walls were lined with magical scorch marks and bodied.
Ahead the sounds of combat were growing louder and I quickened the pace. The hall branched into a massive cavern.
The end nearest to us was occupied by a large force of elves wielding bows and dressed in medium and light armor, while the other side had a force of heavily armored dwarves. Neither was fighting. That was reserved for Cobalt, who was squaring off against five others in the middle of the chamber. Only two were elves. I scanned her opponents. That they weren’t already dead suggested there was something more to them.
Cala the Paladin of Ulara
Level 25: Type: Human Champion HP: 350/500
Cala was raised a shepherdess on the hills of Varais. While tending her flock she stumbled upon an ancient temple and became a Paladin of Ulara, the Goddess of Light. With faith and hope she leads her brave band of adventurers.
Devon the Spellsword
Level 25: Type: Elf Champion Construct HP: 270/350
Devon was the third son of minor nobility, forced to take to adventuring after his lands had little need of him. He has mastered a style mingling magic and swordplay and his reckless heroics are quickly becoming legendary.
Tamara the Bard
Level 25: Type: Elf Bard HP: 220/280
Tamara is the daughter of a renowned weaver and it was always assumed she would one day take his place. Adventure called to her instead. Roaming the world she has found friendship and the power of song.
Kelsenfalselfel the Wizard
Level 25: Type: Gnomish Champion HP: 140/140
Kelsenfalselfel is forever accompanied by a number of ferrets crawling about his person he has determined to be a cloak. They aren’t. He also thinks they talk to him, they do not. He swears they whisper to him the secrets of magic and he is an uncommonly powerful mage.
Arkos the Warrior
Level 25: Type: Human Warrior HP: 480/540
Arkos long served as an offic
er of the Guard in the city of Daelosa. When faced with corrupt city officials he joined an adventuring band and since then has been righting wrongs wherever he finds them.
That was a lot of reading. By the time I was done I looked up to see a large number of bows pointing at us. The elves had been surprised by us sneaking up behind them, but hadn’t stayed surprised. The dwarves were taking advantage of their split attention to inch closer.
“We have a side here?” Walt asked.
“We hate elves,” Yvera said in my head.
I didn’t really hate elves, but Cobalt seemed to already be on the dwarves’ side. That was enough for me.
“We hate elves,” I said.
Swarm of Spiders
Maria went naked for a moment as spiders swarmed off her body. More replaced them quickly enough, though I never quite figured out from where. Masses of black swarmed across the ground and began to leap upon the elves. An arrow whizzed past my ear.
Smite
I let loose several smite cells into clusters of the enemy, a pillar of fire rising from each and in two cases the fire spread to others nearby.
Arrow Monsoon
The elves weren’t inclined to let us have all the fun and the air around us was filled with arrows. I took shelter behind my shield, but I heard Walt cry out as numerous arrows flung him back and pinned him to the floor.
Sever the Roots
The dwarves charged in an armored wall with their axes hacking at the elves’ feet.
I exchanged several blows with one elf before the combat pulled us apart. I was going for Walt, I knew he had to be in rough shape after all those arrows. I reached out to send a heal coursing through his system.
