Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 03 Pt. 02

The Captain gave him the full message. "They made it clear they killed the current Warlord Sun and the one who took over is under duress not to interfere or fall under this Knight Paladin Silvertree's wrath.

The Dock guards stood aside for this group because of a letter from the new warlord. He stated he is a mercenary commander out to destroy slavers and Kan Tri is at the top of his list. I have never seen a Paladin act the way this paladin acted."

The General sighed, "I will send a message off with a courier to Kan Tri. You bring that ship home." He ended comms. He looked over and the couriers who waited to be dispatched waited while he reached into a jar and pulled out a name. "Tang Bren, you are tasked with delivering this message to Kan Tri."

The young man turned white and stepped forward. He took the message with shaky hands. He knew if he did not deliver it his wife, children, and other living relatives in his village would be killed. Messengers who delivered bad news did not return.

It was less than half a day's travel to Kan Tri's Palace by horse. His horse was in sad shape and he saw no reason to rush to his own funeral.

---

One of Matroxxxa's consorts came in with a piece of parchment. She handed it to him, "This elven champion just executed Warlord Sun, destroyed 23 of 24 of Kan Tri's ships in port and freed 2 ships of slaves destined for us. We have lost contact with several assets in dwarven lands, those near the forge location.

The listening wards on the Captain of the one ship he sent away with a message that he plans to kill Kan Tri. They did not have wards but the ones they placed on some of the Dwarven Royalty who visited the whore houses confirm the forge has been moved off and into a secure cave somewhere until they are ready to install it.

For now, it is out of our reach and they got it away from the island. That contradicts the salvage operations they told their navy about. The one on the Elven Ambassador tells us the metallics are working with this champion, those few who remain.

All of our assets at the forge location appear to have been terminated. That got the forge out in hours due to dwarven explosives and dwarves moving underwater. This champion is all over the map and the Ambassador is doing his talking to himself thing again.

He hates this champion for exposing him as a fool. Yet the champion is planning to move his family into the embassy compound. It gets worse. The drow champion is off the field and they lost 83,000+ troops based upon the wards we have on spies in their area.

We lost at least 100 assets in drow lands when that champion was killed. We won't have totals until they all miss their scheduled contact times. We know how he did it; he unlocked a drow communication crystal and had the Silver Queen send dwarven explosives directly to the other champion!

Listening ward on a dwarven sapper he talked with them about what he was doing after he did it. We also have his paladin code, Kan Tri is at the top of his targeting list. He is out to destroy us, starting with our food supply, and your breeders. I wrote down this code for you. We got that from the ward on the records keeper in Sun's kingdom who transcribed it."

Matroxxxa sat down and thought about it. "He will need ships to be of any potential threat. We know where all of them are at. When our assets make their scheduled check-ins. Set half of the assets to sleeper agents, and get to the elven royal family if possible.

Make it a coordinated attack. All locations, This Gray Blades town, and the Embassy. Work to get to the Elven capital and kill the royal family. Time it down to the second! Get rid of the metallics if they find them.

The one captain we have is to take his men to the Embassy. We destroy it bad enough and they will abandon the area. I want this fool champion's family killed. Nothing breaks a paladin like losing family. We will plan another stage after we see how this first attack goes."

Blornaxian looked over with his piercing red-dotted eyes, "Your loss of the forge is problematic for me. I needed it soon. Get your casters searching for it. It is a relic for Gods' sake with tracking wards on it. They will not last!"

The female consort who brought the intelligence in looked over at Blornaxian, "We never got confirmation that wards were even placed. Wherever they took it, we have not been able to track it. They might have found the tracking wards if they got any on it and removed them.

They did not inform us of its arrival there when it occurred. They were young and stupid. Wait...the one who led them was your Great great-grandson who followed you into this mission and led that particular group. Did he inform you of its arrival?"

Mattroxxa moved to defuse Blornaxian before he killed this consort of his and moved between them. Mattroxxa looked over, "We have to work together. We cannot suspect one of us is working against the other. That is why our teams are mixed, to watch each other."

Blornaxian left in a rage. Mattroxxa was immune to his breath weapon and his bodies were secured safely far from there with his phylactery. While Mattroxxa's duel breath weapons could kill the body he was in; not counting the larger dragon force he had around him including several blue dragon guards.

Blornaxian had been informed but he wanted more of his own assets in place before they took it. It had not even been a day before it disappeared. He wanted to control it and through that, control Mattroxxa. He was unconcerned with this Dragon champion he cared nothing for it.

All blame on these losses would fall on Mattroxxa with Kan Tri as he did not deal with the half-dragon or this 'dragon champion' directly. It was not a chromatic dragon or 'one of them' as far as it was concerned.

If this Elven Paladin killed the Dragon Champion by some miracle, then he would end his alliance with Mattroxa and steal as many of his assets as he could. He already had over 100 dragon bodies ready to take over, he might add more to that collection if battle broke out. As it was he got on his crystals and issued a word command, "Omega."

His necromancers teleported away to a safe location, stripped, and removed any dragon wards that had been placed upon them with a wand to detect and then another to remove them. Then teleported again to another location to await further instructions out in the Far West.

Blornaxian took away their ability to make more rings for now by pulling his enchanter necromancers from Mattroxa for now. Including the existing King and Queen in those rings. That fact annoyed Mattroxa when all of the necromancers left suddenly and without warning.

He had enough rings in hand for the moment, but they would not be nearly enough. He could not eat those necromancers without facing Blornaxian's wrath and he needed them for the rings they created for his spy network.

Those were fewer bodies he had to worry about keeping alive with food now. Mattroxxa drank a potion and changed to a human form with a large cock. He walked into a bedroom and fucked the shit out of 4 of the dead human Queen's daughters to release his aggression.

Two older ones were pregnant with half-dragons, they would likely die in delivery. Then the other two that were the youngest adults were pregnant with human children to carry on the royal line, for now. He just fucked them all of them in the ass, for now, to keep from aborting the children. Then he sent in the healers to tend to any injuries for next time his aggression rose, usually every 12 hours.

---

Travious returned to the embassy with his group. "Remember what color dragon you have. If a red dragon shows then blue, white, black, and green take it down. If you know polymorph you can control the dragon's actions. Do not die with that ring on. It will trap your soul and store your body without a mind."

He brushed down Shi'Drakon. He took the gear and walked into the house, "Ficka out here or come on in."

Shi'Drakon ran off, "Over 4,000 mares to fuck out here half are carrying at the moment. Another 5,000 stallions. The herd is larger here than in Quatarsia."

Travious chuckled. He looked around to the 31 slave women who were there and he sighed. He headed into his room. Melia looked at him and got him out of his armor. "The ambassador is not happy with you. He said you put him in a bad spot with the King."

Travious looked at her, "He should be glad I did not declare him an enemy of our Gods!"

She chuckled and she saw he was serious. He crawled into bed and was out cold.

---

Travious was in the woods with the Goddess walking beside him. She looked at him as they approached Silent Falls. "You are making progress. Nice improvisation with the dragon we have been seeing a lot of things you do that do not align with what we predicted. It is constantly altering future events. You are creating new futures."

Travious nodded, "Like my actions with the ships will likely result in me bringing chaos to the Embassy and Academy here. Attacks on our navy. Another round of assassins. Threaten the lives of the slaves I am wanting to save. Not spending enough time with my wives or all of the above."

She nodded, "You see the pitfalls, and some you cannot avoid given your code. Your wives are more understanding than you think. They know you are working yourself into exhaustion. You do not stop to grieve."

Travious looked at her, "If I did that, I would never have made it to this embassy. If grieving was so important for me then why was I not allowed to when my mother died? I just continued training, all of my mother's children did. I threw myself into my training or in this case my mission. Was that your direction?"

She sighed, 'No that was not our direction for you. We dictated no action concerning your parent's funeral. It did focus you as your aunt suspected it would but it was not nurturing, an issue she has had with her own children.

Because of the loss of her own mother and having to grow up so fast. Your Brother and sister felt the same way, but they found time to grieve together at the Academy. The part to make her old enough for the war denied her any childhood.

That was our failure and not something we would look to do again with a daughter especially because of the results. Gestalts will enter training younger and be close to master-level by the time they are adults, if not sooner. This is especially important for future blade wielders who will likely be Gestalts."

Travious sighed, "Kan Tri thought if he gave me her, I would stop. Someone had to tell him I was looking for her though. That is the part I have not figured out yet. My leading candidate is the ambassador."

The Lady of Dreams shook her head, "Not the ambassador, but his handling of the situation in the Sun province was not ideal."

Travious looked at her, "This is one of those things I have to figure out. How did he know? He was scrying on the boy but that would make him a caster."

She nodded, "It is another theory. It could also be a coincidence."

Travious shook his head, "It was someone unfamiliar with my paladin code. That was the only elf he gave up in the province with 3 elf-blooded who were working as servers and sex slaves to the warlord from what I heard.

He tried to work for a deal, I would have none of that. Right to where the boy was sent to study. It was calculated and cold, to throw Warlord Sun onto my grindstone. Likely to end the treaty without knowing or caring that the treaty has clauses in regard to slavery.

Coincidences I do not buy. It was an effort to destroy our alliance, which is effectively dead at the moment. They have won that battle at the moment."

She smiled, "Why would you say that?"

Travious looked at her, "Like the odds of all Moon Blades being at the same place at the same time. Not a coincidence."

She laughed, "It is not an elf or elf-blooded I would know if that were purposefully in league with the enemy and worships us. I am not here for that regardless. I cam for another reason.

What happened at House Silvertree came about because of what your Grandfather revealed. It set the deaths you are trying to shoulder into motion. Just like some deaths in the future will be based on your actions in the field.

You could not have stopped them. We gave your grandfather the ability to have visions of the future. To show him those things he could or could not change. You are rewriting the future in some cases. You will have no knowledge of how your actions will play out in generations to come. The King will take over the hunting of slave ships in this region after you bring this last champion down. We will work to assign you other taskings at that point."

He nodded, "Kan Tri. His province never received any aid but survived the first stage of the Dragon War unscathed and actually grew I am betting."

She nodded, "Which is why he is at war with his neighbor. You need to be aware that you cannot and should not try and save all of them. You are going to save many of them. Especially the women he holds. Provided you live."

Travious nodded, "I know what I am going to do."

She looked at him, "Unless something forces you to adapt and then you find a way to do even more. You will draw attention."

He nodded, "Away from the elven people."

She smiled at him, "Get some rest."

He awoke with Melia, Gia, and Majisa curled over and around me. He hugged and kissed each of them.

They took turns looking at him, Melia smiled, "You are going nowhere."

He nodded, "Except to use the chamber pot, the shower, get dressed, get Strasa saddled up, and go and see the King with the two members of House Golden Sun."

Melia sighed, "No threatening rulers today?"

He shrugged, "That will be just the start of my day."

He looked at Gia, "Did you get enough saddles?"

She nodded, "There are 22 who need mounts. Including the 6 clerics that showed up while you were gone yesterday."

He nodded. "It should have been 12. We are also missing another 6 sorcerers."

Travious sighed, "That is why I am leaving Shi'Drakon behind. Melia, I need you to give a set of clothes suitable for the Palace to Trilarna Golden Sun."

She nodded, "Then you are taking us shopping for more clothes."

He nodded, "Yes I am." Travious rolled them out of the way into one big pile leaving them laughing as he went and used the chamber pot.

Melia looked at his arms. "I had Gia fix the wounds you left unattended from your previous battle at House Silvertree." He nodded.

She glared at Travious, "You need to take better care of yourself."

He walked over and kissed her and pulled her into the shower with him and just held her under the water, "The goddess visited last night. Told me I needed to take time to grieve."

Melia nodded, "Yes."

He looked at her, "I told her I grieve by throwing myself into the training or the mission. I was not allowed time to grieve for my mother. I had to train. I was 54 when she died. That was my Aunt's call, not our God's call. I am taking some time to help you grieve. I will do mine by hampering and eliminating the enemy. That was how I was taught to grieve. To focus it on the enemy of our Gods."

She held onto him as the other two entered the shower. They stood that way for almost an hour and hugged each other and listened to Melia cry for her mother and for him. She knew he would not do it. When she subsided. They dried off and he looked at them, "All of you with me today."

Majisa looked at him, "What if I am seen?"

He sighed, "I hate that aspect of things. Staria should be here soon if not already. Did you find a building to use?"

They nodded, "Yes. It is a small cottage on the backside of the compound for a private entrance into the portal. It will work and the door is large enough for us to take mounts back if we choose."

He nodded, "We need to get them all up. I want a second one set up as a refugee quarter here until my Aunt is ready for them. I want to speak to all of them."

He prayed for his spells and abilities and dressed. He was armed to go. He walked out to 31 former slaves and a young half-elf sitting there. Travious walked up to him, "Take these and get dressed."

Young Golden Sun looked at the clothes, "Where am I going?"

Travious looked at him, "To the Elven Palace with your mother. I am moving the two of you to Quatarsia after that to give you time to adjust. There is an Arcane Academy there that you will be welcomed to attend."

Trilarna looked at him, "I want to be out here in the fight."

He looked at Trilarna, "You are the last two of what was thought to be a dead house. Your job to get him free and that got you rescued. He needs to produce heirs for your family name to continue. You need to spend time as a mother. Elven heirs will be needed. He can have 1-6 wives if he wishes but producing heirs is important. Once he is married and his first children are born then reenter the fight if you wish. That is when we are going to need you. I need to know what you can tell me about this warlord."

She looked at him, "Unnatural. He never aged a day in the 230 years he held me there. The boy is not his. It was a merchant from his town who he loaned me out to for a month. As far as I know, he has no children. Dressed in Samurai armor but has a full-fledged squad of ninjas who works for him.

His armor is adamantium. Never seen him without clothes. He wanted to fuck you he would bend you over pull it out and fuck you. We were forces to be naked unless cooking."

Travious looked at her, "Write down the symbol for the man who 'married' you. She wrote it out and he put it away. "An anti-paladin if I had to guess."

She looked at Travious, "If that is as unholy and as far as removed from a paladin as possible then that is him. He has a dragon. Black but not. It seems to absorb light. Not that it went out in the light."

He looked at the other ladies. "How many speak common?"

Travious saw six hands go up. Travious then ran through the three regional dialects. One lady did not raise a hand. One of the elf-blooded. He looked at her, "What is her story?"

Trilarna looked at Travious, "She cannot hear."

Travious looked at Gia. "Examine her."

Gia came over, "She looks like she has been modified. She has implanted devices. I think she is set to listen in on your conversation. She is all but brain dead. A puppet to be controlled."

Travious looked at them, "You will all be given options for staying in this province. Returning to your original province, or being taken to Quatarsia. From there leaving or finding a life. You will remain here until all of you are cleaned up of scars. The ones on your bodies our healers can fix.

The ones in your mind you will never get rid of completely but you can find love again. Those who wish to remain but need money, raise a hand. Once you are healthy, cleaned of scars, and clothed in local apparel we will set you free with 500 gold pieces to try and start a new life."

He saw 20 hands go up. He looked at them, "Gia walked up to each of them and set 500 gold coins in front of them." He handed her his bag.

Travious looked at them. "We want you healthy and with clothes and weapons that you can handle before you leave."

They nodded as Golden Sun translated into another common dialect he was not using.

He had the clerics come in and they went through and showed the scars getting cut out. Then they healed over so they knew it was not a trick. Staria walked in with the Countess. The Countess walked up to Golden Sun who did not see her enter and she turned, "You?!"

The Countess nodded, "I am happy the champion recovered you. When I heard the name and that you would be coming to the Palace today, I wanted to see you first. You will get debriefed there. The Knights are under the control of the Elven Kingdom for the last 108 years. Thanks to his father. He untied the hands of the Knights to do what it needed to do."