Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 04

Jazzia nodded. "You have my account on file. The ring is for Grandaxxa, to help him against dragon fire breath weapons. My funds have been released to me so I could take care of my shopping. We will get it from the Duchess tomorrow, for those that are ready. Everything should be sent to her and I will pick up from there as they come in."

She nodded, "Here is the stuff you can have now that is ready."

Jazzia gave the ladies the necklaces immediately. She looked at Jazzia, "Your sash requests were tricky but we got it to work easily enough."

Jazzia smiled, "I have a feeling you might be getting more requests for those. A lot more requests for those for the sorcerers and others."

They walked to the wedding shop.

She looked at the ladies, "Armor or wedding dresses. Your choice." Vivia smiled, "Wedding dress if we can find something, we all like."

Wendia nodded. The ladies went searching. Jazzia went to the counter and looked at the lady, "You know who I am?"

She nodded, "We were told yesterday to expect you. All of you. Melia has arranged payment already."

Jazzia chuckled. She went and found what Jazzia was looking for.

A well-designed sapphire blouse with a mithril elven design and black leather pants of strong quality. They started stocking them years ago because of all the weddings at Silent Falls. The ladies looked at her pick and went back to going through dresses for another two hours before deciding on the choice they both loved. Matching dresses in a sapphire color and mithril elven designs over them.

They were gorgeous; both of them. They got dressed and the packages were wrapped up for them. They walked out each carrying their own. Jazzia looked at the jewelry store, "We already have rings."

Wendia looked at Jazzia, "We do?"

Jazzia nodded, "Crafted by the gods."

She smiled at that. Viva looked at Jazzia, "Why blouse and pants instead of a dress?"

Jazzia smiled, "I wear it over armor and I do not own a dress. No place for it on the battlefield."

They laughed at her.

---

They walked outside the city and teleported to just outside the town and walked home. They had a late mid-day meal and she left them to their own work. Vivia worked on her glasses. They stayed home for the day. She sent her students out to do different exercises putting her brother in charge for the last two days. All of the packages from the city for the wedding were delivered.

---

The night before the wedding she called her students together. She looked at them, "I have all of your rings for the ceremony in the morning. I have had you working under my brother for the last few days. If I could have graduated you five years ago, I would have.

He needed the practice as he will become the new Master Trainer tomorrow. I have been directed to surrender the ring by the Gods to one of my students. We all know who excelled the best. Besides myself."

They chuckled, "You will all be great Grand Masters and I encourage you to take on training roles immediately. Yes, this will keep you out of the war but you are training the next generation of Blade singers to survive and the skills I passed onto you need to be shared. Consider it."

They all nodded knowing she could not direct them to do it but made her opinion known. She looked at her brother, "You, on the other hand, have no choice in the matter."

The other two laughed but nodded. She dismissed them for the final time as her apprentices.

She went to see Melia, "Who's my sister's mystery husband?"

She looked at Jazzia, "Knight Paladin Karis Dusk Moon. Moon Blade Wielder. He is at his parents' home tonight."

Jazzia sighed, "Could you get him to pay me a visit please, out by the falls here? I would like a few words with him in private."

She nodded, "I will have him meet you at the Falls in the back of our home."

She nodded and walked back and waited.

An hour later he walked in, "Hello Champion."

Jazzia looked at him. "Hello, Champion." He stopped dead in his tracks. "The Lady of Dreams told me I am not to reveal you. She did not say I could not talk to you."

He walked toward her, "How did you guess? I wear a non-detection cloak."

She smiled, "Five wives soon to be six. Major amulet of health?"

He chuckled and nodded, "Yes. I did not know it until it happened. Then I got a funny visit about that very subject."

Jazzia nodded, "Does she know yet?"

He shook his head, "Not until we are married. Then she will find out. Rules from the Gods."

Jazzia chuckled, "Wedding night getting undressed guess what. You married a champion?"

He laughed, "Something like that. She will find it humorous and worrisome."

Jazzia nodded, "If I had not heard of your five wives, I would not have put it together."

He nodded, "Do you approve?"

Jazzia smiled, "My family helped to expand your family. You are a brother to me. Of course, I approve. I wish she knew beforehand but we each have our roles to play. Explains why you moved as well, I did not buy into the 'memories of your father being to painful' statement your sister gave me.

Keep detect magic on hand and search for necromancy auras. A new set of rings are going around. The person you are seeing is in full control but if you kill them the person inside is killed. They get a second life. Some are dragons in hiding, others will reveal dragons. No way to distinguish them. The person inside is not always a willing participant.

A new cult to the Draco-lich. I would say check for dragon marks. When they come around to do that, have your home and everyone in it checked. Unless you want my fellow bride to do it. She is capable. She would know who you are as you have to get naked to be checked for dragon marks."

He sighed, "I will pray on that one and get guidance."

Jazzia smiled, "Knowing who the other champion is and where you are focused relieves my mind some."

He nodded, "Same but I knew. I heard you joined the Shadow Riders."

Jazzia shook her head, "I will lead them. The charter was willed to me."

He chuckled at her, "Ready for the war then?"

She smiled, "They will be. I plan to invest a fortune in them and change their tactics. They will leave the war and pursue other challenges that the Gods send me to. They will be a mercenary unit assigned to me, like my father. Transferred to me tomorrow."

He nodded, "Sometimes I think we are pawns in this game of chess."

Jazzia chuckled, "Then you start doing things they do not expect. Like my father. The prediction for him was blown clear out of the water but he took down so many champions with his actions. The ripples are still being dealt with from what I am getting."

He nodded, "I think that is one of the reasons I am being hidden right now. Except from you apparently."

They both chuckled. She walked over and hugged him. She sighed, "I thought it was a full-blooded elf for the longest time. Until I heard about the wives. Your sister's comment stuck. She gets the 'don't do this' with a half-dragon speech."

He laughed and nodded. Their holy symbols hummed and they chuckled as they backed away. He went back to his home and she went to sleep.

She was once again back at the falls but this time it was Corellon Larethian who appears before her. She took a knee, "I am pleased to finally meet you."

He chuckled, "Stand my champion. You handled the other champion well. I know you have your concerns for your sister but she will adapt to it. Your offer to help him would only be a short-term fix. Getting his glasses adjusted will help him greatly as it is slow in getting to the field. An issue for the King to address and he knows this already."

Jazzia thought, for a second, "I want to get with my brother and see about getting one of the white dragon rings released to my sister. With the spells, she could start checking for those dragon wards where she lives. Except for the whole pregnancy aspect. That is the problem."

He nodded, "With the silvers coming into play the white dragons are rarely used. They are young and much weaker than the others. It would be a good move to get her the ring and spells. She can get them to another they trust. You can tell your brother I said that."

Jazzia chuckled, "To what do I owe this visit. Does this deal with my birthday tomorrow?"

He smiled, "Yes, you have taken steps to protect the other brides and like your father, you will attract assassins. This cannot be avoided only managed. They will likely be more selective. They are targeting you alone. They have limited resources due to the steps you have taken. Also, the steps your father took. Stay on task. Train them the way you want to train them, your strategies are sound.

You are right your father's approach caused a lot of ripples. It reset the field in a lot of areas. There are 13 human champions on the field. Some are still teenagers. 6 you could ally with and 6 you could not. The thirteenth would never try to ally with you. Their goal is to stretch out the war.

Constantly switching sides to keep us pitted against each other. Which is bad for us all. A god of war and chaos. If you ever locate that champion, do your best not to engage and inform our other champion. That is one of his tasks if they arrive here. Your list of gear for your troops is impressive."

Jazzia nodded, "I want them to be more effective than the dragon riders. To do that we have to change the paradigm around. We will have packs in the group to take down the bigger prey and move onto the next one. One bite at a time. Divide their focus."

He nodded, "You will do well. This first battle will be over in days with the forces you are amassing. Until they scatter."

She nodded, "I have to trim some riders out and get them into the Blades instead. For the town and capital security."

He smiled, "Make the command decisions. They are yours and the King knows it. Your brother knows it. They will want to see what you do."

She nodded, "The one that concerns me is another dragon champion."

He nodded, "It is possible but they are typically centuries in the making. The closest they have right now that we know of is the Draco-lich. That could change. Always listen to what you are hearing. You are doing well champion. Congratulations on being an adult."

With that, she woke up refreshed with her spells already prepared having used none the day before. She got armored but sans clothes until it was time for the wedding. She headed downstairs armed and determined. She went to the stable and saddled up their 3 horses for today. She walked across and looked at her cousin the Duchess, "Ring ceremony in an hour here in the crossroads. I need weapons for the other brides."

She looked at Jazzia, "I have daggers for her and a few family swords to choose from for your battle cleric bride."

She walked inside and chose the weapons that suited them best and returned to the house where the ladies were eating. She set the items on the table. "Weapons crafted and recovered from a fallen family member. Ring ceremony in forty-five minutes. Followed by a wedding of my sister across the way at the church."

Her brother Traxxa walked in and she looked at him. She went charging at him and changed forms and stopped right in front of him. She looked at him, "The solution to your identification problem." She pointed out her sash, "Enchanted not to change but to adapt to the new form."

She changed back. "Now take this idea and for your dragon mages and riders use the old Knights flag design on them."

He looked at her and nodded, "That would work. I will talk with the Countess to see if she approves."

She took that moment to walk in, "I think it is inventive. Your father used it on his naval ships before they were turned over to the Royal Navy. The dragon riders should use it. Your sister is right. There will be no sneak attack. We hit them hard enough and they will flee the area."

Jazzia looked at him, "How many fighters and rogues do you have in the Shadow Riders?"

He looked at her, "About 10 of each they play bait. Not good for much of anything else."

Jazzia nodded, "They are out then. I have to build a force of 300. They have to be multipurpose. Should see about getting them in with the Gray Blades. We will then work out and recruit in the right talent to get them to 300.

I need a white dragon ring, two actually. One to train with and one for our sister so she can check for dragon marks in her area as she moves away. Once with a child, she can train another with the spells. Corellon Larethian thought it was an excellent idea. He told me to tell you that."

He chuckled, "Is that all he said?"

Jazzia smiled, "He told me congratulations on becoming an adult and that assassins will be coming for me."

He chuckled, "What else is new for a champion. You can have the two rings. With the silvers ready for training now they will not be used."

They headed downstairs and to the crossroads where her students gathered. She looked around at the gathering crowd, "In the city, this is done on the proving ground. Here these crossroads are the training grounds, the proving grounds for the students, mages, and warriors of all types. My great, great, grandfather made history by being the first to graduate as a Grand Master. I made it for being the youngest Grand Master and a few days later being made the Master Trainer. Today I award 3 Grand Masters. She placed the rings on each of their hands. "For the first time in history, my brother graduates as the new Master Trainer. By divine direction for the upcoming war, I will be needed in the field. He will continue to train the next generation and building upon it as our predecessors have done.

To Master Trainer Cetarn Silvertree, choose your students wisely and push them but do not break them."

The crowd applauded them and they all called out, "Yes Master Trainer."

Cetarn looked at Jazzia, "What do we call you now?"

She heard a voice from the lady, "Notice your finger. Champion Blade Singer."

She smiled, "Commander Silvertree of the Shadow Riders. Champion Blade Singer."

As she held up her hand displaying the changed ring. "My job as a trainer of Blade Singers is over. Now I have to train the Shadow Riders to try and survive."

She looked at her Cousin the Duchess, "You have openings correct?"

She nodded. She looked at the crowd, "The Shadow riders will be an arcane unit; at least for the opening days of the Dragon War. Blade Singers, Battle Mages, and Arcane Archers. If you are a fighter or rogue in the unit currently, we will look to transition most of you to the Gray Blades where the fighting will be heavy on the ground and potentially in the air.

The exception being for no more than 6 lancer types. Your skills will be needed here. We will no longer be the bait for the Dragon Riders. We will be an offensive powerhouse of our own. I will meet with the unit as it exists now in the pasture area after the mid-day meal. Right now, I have a wedding to attend. Not my own, but my sisters."

That got a few chuckles from the crowd after the murmuring died down. Traxxa looked at her, "You have plans?"

She nodded, "I do. To attend a wedding."

Everyone laughed as he shook his head. They filed into the church and attended her sister's wedding. She invited her new brother-in-law and his wives back to her home to have a private conversation. They entered the home and went back to the falls. She looked at her sister Visha Dusk Moon, "You have another task from the gods."

She looked at her, "I do?"

Jazzia smiled, "You already said that part."

The ladies chuckled. She handed her the ring, "That has a white dragon in it. You can change into it and then polymorph into an elven form. Then you will be able to cast some draconic magic with it. Find and remove Dragon wards. To aid in the enchantment of the shield if called upon. To look after the safety and security of your family in that part of the kingdom. I have an enchantress to do it here. It is only fitting that the other Champion has one for his home."

She looked at Jazzia and then at her new husband and put her hand over her mouth. He nodded and Jazzia continued, "You love him and his ladies. That has not changed. You are a part of his house and the fact he is champion is still a secret. I only know because I guessed it. All of the wives were the flag to me."

The ladies laughed and her sister looked at Jazzia, "I have a sister who is a champion and now a husband who is a champion?!"

Jazzia nodded, "You know how to pick them."

The ladies laughed and she finally smiled. She put her hand on his chest and felt the holy symbol. Jazzia looked at her, "He was not allowed to let you know until after you were married. Because of this task, I kind of sprung this little surprise."

She nodded and hugged Jazzia, "Now I have to worry that much more for both of you."

Jazzia nodded, "True, but we will have the best stories and you are the link between the 2 champions."

She chuckled and hugged Jazzia again. Jazzia walked out with them and waved down Vivia to come down, "You have an apprentice to train for a couple of hours. Once you are with a child that ring is off-limits. Find someone you can trust and get them to do it.

Get her the draconic spells for finding and removing wards. Putting that ring on while pregnant could kill you and your unborn. Spend the next few days when you get back and get detect magic always on, added to his glasses, looking for necromancy.

You see a necromancer aura apprehend or kill. The rings have a new version your glasses will not see without that. If they want her doing more in the future then she can do that."

She nodded and walked her back to a table and pulled out the spellbooks. Jazzia looked at them, "I know this delays your post-wedding celebration but I wanted to get this to her before you left without so much as a goodbye because I was in the field training."

All of the ladies hugged her as did her new brother but they kept it very brief because of the holy symbols. Jazzia walked out with Wendia and headed to the stables. They mounted up and went to the field. They got the 15 rogues and fighters up front and thanked them for their work in training. Her Cousin brought them into the Gray Blades. She found out they had only 5 lancers. She took the rest of them and divided them out into new units.

No longer single color based. They each had two colors and they overlapped. None of the units had diametrically opposed elements. She looked at all of them, "My home for a briefing on what we will be doing and your jobs both on and off the field."

They got to the house and the first thing Jazzia did was get them all to strip after Vivia went into the pool area and changed forms. She removed 70 dragon wards and they marked the locations where they slept.

She looked at them after they got dressed. "Before any meeting like this, this check will be done. Information in these meetings is to be considered the secrets of the crown. Only to be discussed in shelters like this. All of those who wear armored bracers raise a hand."

Jazzia got a count of 110. She looked at them, "Those who wear bracers or gloves will have new ones belonging to the unit issued. Hang onto your current gear as when and if you decided to part ways you will have that to take with you.

The reason being is I am having 300 sets of bracers made with Shadow Rider insignias on them. Some will be high-end protection for those who wear bracers. All of them are going to have a magus spell enchanted into them known as weapon wand. That is a project underway. With that, the bracers will have two slots. One will have a dimension door wand in it.

The other is up to you to fill with a damage-dealing wand. When war hits, I will hopefully have a stockpile of both. You will be the bait with teeth, you will hunt in packs. The sorcerers who can change into dragon form will be doing aerial dismounts and working to get on the back or wings.