Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 05 Pt. 02

He sighed, "I do not remember any of this. Did the Gods tell you this?"

Jarronus smiled and thought, "I made a request to replace you when I die. If they allow me to retain my identity in some fashion. Mainly knowing that I was me and I could actually advise the champion. Something they denied you the ability to do. That was 8,000 years ago.

You are also the reason this house keeps having champions and heroes. You promised the house would serve forever. I have set the foundation for that from the house finance side. The house never had this kind of money in your day. It was not something you could account for."

He was quiet for several seconds, "All the champions who have died are my descendants."

He sighed, "Yes, as are the ones who went and corrupted the house. Eldar and you cleansed the blades. You have done a great many things to protect the elven people. I think it is time to pass that torch onto someone else. To join your love when I eventually pass. I wanted your opinion on the matter."

Karti'Ros sighed, "I have killed many who tried and did not meet the standards to be a blade wielder."

Jarronus thought back, "My father ensured 49 where disowned and arrested. Eldar cut off many branches to try and fix the issues with corruption in the house. Losing all those Elders hurt his efforts. I think his daughter, the duchess was poorly trained.

Not for combat but to be a mother. She was a great hero, but losing her own mother and being in war as a child did not help her with her son. You know I will fight for putting down corruption within the house."

He heard Karti'Ros, "Maybe it is time if the Gods think it is. Thank you for telling me."

Jarronus smiled and thought, "The Gods prevented other champions who asked this question from talking about it. I needed something to fight for. To live on for. I want to be around and see that they keep their promise and allow this house to grow. That corruption does not take root. While we are at it, can I change my choice to immunity to petrification?"

He heard him chuckle, "I could set a cure but if you want but it would not do much good if the effect were instantaneous. You would have to get an item for that first for me to learn it."

He sighed, "Leave death ward and I will add a note to my journal."

He chuckled, "Thank you for letting me know. I will keep track of what you are doing for the house in case they do not do it. It sounds like we are a lot alike."

Jarronus sighed, "I debated on if it was time for this house to die. It seemed like they wanted to kill the house after everything the champions have done. They said it will grow. We will see my friend. My ancestor."

He got up and searched and found the secret compartment under the bed that could only be accessed with the use of the blade. He pulled out the large bag of stuff from the hidden location. He realized he had incorporated it into his design because he had used this spell version as a base for the main house.

He left a note. As to who removed it for the future. He sealed it back up. He studied his spells. He walked out of the home to a round of applause. Strong Oak looked at him, "Straight to the Palace."

Strong Oak cast a teleportation circle on all of them and came in with Knight Silver Moon. Jarronus sighed and walked into the Palace. The Queen waved him forward, "I know what happened. I am just curious why you did not teleport home?"

He smiled, "I remember what the last holy symbol did when it broke. I did not know what it would do. I made it so it contained a blast if one happened, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "Thank you for explaining that. I am glad we had no major devastation and that you are back and walking."

He smiled, "I hope you have not had any major security issues while I was gone, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "Nothing the other champion could not handle. He came in to see me after you got incapacitated. He was instructed to keep an eye on me until you returned."

Jarronus smiled, "I am glad the Gods saw to your safety, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "I am happy you are better."

He bowed to her. The room erupted into applause. He smiled, "I am behind on my shopping for the wedding, Your Majesty."

She laughed, "Then you better get to it." He bowed to her again and left with the four ladies and his apprentices. He took them to the proving ground. They were in session. He looked over, "I need the records to reflect that beginning 10 days ago I started training Apprentice Moon Ray, Apprentice Silver Moon, and Apprentice Storm Blade."

He looked at Jarronus, "I heard you were petrified during most of that time."

He nodded, "True, but I set up their initial instruction before that. By the direction of Corellon Larethian and the Lady of Dreams, I was told to use Brima Silverleaf to assist. While teaching her new things as well. Things that could help her get her Grand Master status sooner."

They nodded, "Very well. If you have been following our Gods' direction, we will not challenge 10 days. The records will reflect that start date."

He bowed to them and then teleported all of us to the market district near the dress shop. He walked them inside, "I need wedding attire for these four ladies, myself, and my three apprentices so they are dressed appropriately. I am Count Silvertree, Master Trainer."

She nodded, "We are glad to see you standing champion. Word has spread all around the city of your brush with death."

He nodded, "Still a little stiff from that."

The ladies chuckled. He looked at them as they chose regalia. He got his apprentices outfits that made them look good. With the black leather pants and mithril colors with silver accents. I picked up a fancier version and sapphire cuff-links they had with mithril crescent moons over them. Then an extra outfit. The sales lady smiled, "It is often looked at and seldom bought because of the price."

He handed her his tube. The ladies all got mithril dressed with a varying but complementing design.

He looked at them, "Gloves, shoes, any of that you ladies wish to get."

They smiled and went back and finished. She looked at Jarronus, "With the discount, you are looking at 48,000 gold pieces." He gave her an account number and her mouth about hit the floor. "Thank you for your business, Count Silvertree."

He looked at the ladies as they stored stuff into their bags of holding. His apprentices did the same. He handed them to Olivana, "That one is for your father."

He handed the other to Brima, "Mine as I went without my bags."

She nodded. Olivana smiled at him, "He will be surprised."

He nodded, "I figured as much. My family is small and my best friend and trainer was killed. I have the rings." He pulled them all out and gave them to Olivana. "Keeper of the rings includes those." She smiled and stored them. He looked at Zirra, "Still working?"

She nodded, "Did not know when or if you would come out of it."

He smiled, "Bank is the next stop. Can you craft wondrous items?" She nodded. "I got a project for you."

She smiled, "Good."

He teleported them all to the bank entrance. They walked inside to a lady he met before. She perked straight up. He looked at her, "Does Duke Strong Oak have an account here?"

She looked, "I have no accounts with Strong Oak."

Jarronus smiled, "Create one for Duke Strong Oak and transfer three billion into the account. Do you have one for the Moon Blade wielder New Moon? I believe his first name is Verious."

She looked, "I have an account for him."

He nodded, "Transfer a billion to his account. I need eight new accounts created. Four with two million in each. Four with five hundred thousand in them." She looked at Jarronus, "The names on the accounts?"

He looked at her, "Zirra Silvertree, Olivana Silvertree, Mirama Silvertree, and Brima Silvertree for the four two million accounts.

For the other four Clarim Moon Ray, Eldum Silver Moon, and Jeff Storm Blade. Zirra the fourth is for your brother but I need a first name. She looked shocked, "Lersan Silver Flute."

Jarronus looked at her, "The first three accessible now. The fourth account set the caretaker as Zirra Silvertree who can access on his behalf. He has full access when he becomes 70 years old. He is in the Academy and may need to gear up by then. Now House Silver Flute Debt."

She looked over it, "They have 225,000 in outstanding debt."

He nodded, "Pay it from that account. Clear her books."

The lady nodded. "The people holding the debt will be glad to see it closed out I am sure."

He smiled, "Incurred by her ancestors and a fresh beginning for her brother."

She nodded, "Anything else?"

He smiled, "Take half of these three accounts and set it to an account that will go to the crown.

A separate account with me as a secondary on it for now. I will give the account information to the Queen myself."

She nodded, "That is a lot of money."

He nodded, "Just about everything from the Gold Star incident. It will go to outfitting troops and death benefits to the families."

She looked at him, "That is very generous."

He smiled, "Between leaving it to sit in an account when it can be turned into something to protect the soldiers. I choose the latter. Duke Strong Oak is now over the Duchy to the south of the kingdom that my family used to control. He is a distant cousin. As is the Queen for that matter. I am giving him money to rebuild and fortify. New Moon is the other champion and will have needs in the near future. I am distributing money to where it will be needed."

She nodded and he took all of the account numbers for now. He looked at Zirra, "Enchanters shop to see what they have waiting for me. Also, so you can pack. Then off to see your brother at the Academy."

She nodded and smiled at him. He took them outside as the bank was heavily shielded from teleportation in any direction. They grouped and walked in.

The lady behind the counter huffed, "About time you got back. I have work to do."

He smiled as she spoke, "I am here to gather my things from my room. I am quitting to get married."

He looked at the lady, "I need to see what you have ready for me."

He handed her his tube as Zirra went in back. The lady shook her head, "I do not know who would marry her. Her family accounts were such a mess."

He smiled, "You hold the debt on those accounts?"

She nodded, "I will have to speak with her about how she is settling that."

He smiled, "Speak with me, as I paid them all off before we arrived here. Her house has no debt. I am marrying her as one of my four wives by the direction of the Gods. You read my title?"

She looked through and her eyes lit up, "You're the new champion?"

He nodded, "Now my orders?"

She went and looked and they had the chain mail and plate mail done. Jarronus handed the armor off to his students. Including the full plate which they split. Between them. Zirra came out with a small bag of stuff.

She looked over, "Just my personal effects."

Jarronus looked at the lady at the counter, "She will be by periodically to check on the rest of my order. She needs the base ingredients for proof against petrification."

She nodded, "I will note it in the record." She handed her the stuff for it. "Consider it your final pay and a wedding gift."

Zirra smiled, "Thank you. I will not be opening a shop. I will be doing some enchanting for my new house."

The lady nodded. They stepped outside and he teleported them home. Karti'Ros alerted, "Danger."

He immediately teleported them into the home. He opened the portal, "Apprentices, Olivana and Zirra inside now."

They headed inside.

He thought, "Danger still present?"

He heard, "Yes."

He looked at the guards standing there. "We have intruders, get any other guards in the house, and bring them here."

He sealed the portal. He looked at them, "Get detect magic up." They both cast it. He had three other guards. He teleported out to the Great Silvertree. "Each lady please take a guard with you."

They nodded. He looked at the one guard, "Are you a mage?"

He nodded. Jarronus looked at him, "Get detect magic up." He cast it. "Look for necromancy and illusion."

He nodded. He looked in the new barn and saw one hiding in the stall. An orc with one of those damned rings. They headed in, the orc pulled up his bow and Jarronus hit it with a disintegrate. He looked shocked when the one guard hit him with a scorching ray and Jarronus cut his head off.

He continued out and looked around. Jarronus pulled him closer and teleported them up on the roof. They found one there looking down for them to come in. Jarronus hit him with a lightning bolt and watched him fly off the roof trying to escape it. He broke his neck in the fall with scorch marks on his ass. Karti'Ros sighed, "Still danger."

He teleported outside the gate and looked around.

He spotted him and he was in a ring on one of my guards. Jarronus paralyzed him and went over pulled the rings. His sword sighed, "Danger gone."

The paralysis wore off and the guard looked at Jarronus, "That was totally fucked up! I am sorry, but I quit."

Jarronus nodded, "You have the right to do so." He walked off the grounds and left his heraldry sash. Jarronus looked at the other guard, "Collect everything off of those two. Get me all the guards on duty." He nodded, "Very well."

Jarronus caught up with the other ladies, "Three orcs. One in a ring. I saved the guard. The other two orcs were using the rings with improved invisibility rings."

He walked into the house and walked up to a wall. Jarronus cast another portal and locked it into place. He looked at the guards who arrived. There were 49 here. He looked at them, "Step inside." They all walked in with me. "Set access to all inside. Set security controls to all inside. Seal entryway, seal the portal, and activate entryway security."

They stood there looking through the walls and the blades and spikes. He looked at them, "This house will be under a constant lock. The crystal to block scrying, teleportation, and seal the doors will be on.

Communication crystal will be given to your 5 team leads on each of your 4 shifts. You will have a list of access questions. Challenge with one, answer with the next. You will have 3 per shift and they need to be memorized.

The team lead is responsible for doing detect magic and ensuring there are no illusion or necromancy. If you can cast true seeing use that as well. You might be asking why the extra security. Because you will see this at the entrance to my home. If your body is stolen or a necromancy ring has been put on you and you make it in the door, that is what will happen to free your body for burial.

I named my horse Hitan for a reason. I am out to protect my family and there is not enough security in place yet. I am working on those issues with the Queen. Until it is resolved I am paranoid. There will be a communication crystal inside my home. If the Queen contacts the one outside and you need to get a hold of me you will have to come into the entryway and use the crystal to let me know.

I see a dragon, orc, drow, ogre, or giant. It is getting skewered just like that. Always work in groups of 9-10 and stay together. Two patrolling outside One watching inside; you will notice no doors so the crystals lock down the whole interior for a reason." He shut the security off and brought the wall down.

"You know about the drow that blew the hell out of the old house when that champion died. I seal them between the wall and portal. I will not destroy half of the moon-elf district in the process. I have a crystal setup to block teleporting into the rest of my secure shelter and one in every bedroom. There is no place to teleport inside that shelter.

The walls are not 'walls of force.' They are three-inch-thick slabs of clear diamond. Let them try and disintegrate through those."

They chuckled. He set a crystal down, "Another to block teleportation into this main area. One guard will monitor communication crystals at all times; preferably three so you have two others watching your back.

He brought down the wall and walked out, "Those not on shift will find a room with a table, ask for whatever you want to eat or drink. Do not be drunk while working here. Lots of bedrooms to choose from and a small area in the back with a waterfall and pond. You can swim in as it is six feet deep throughout. That is why there are no staff cooks here. This structure will exist for as long as I live until I find a second to cast draconic mythic magic on it.

At which point they will live longer than dragons if you know how to access them and where they are at." He did a quick search of the house interior and locked it down with the three crystals. "Here is my crystal to the Queen. Who is taking the first watch over this? It does not leave this house unless I am carrying it with me."

One of the guys steps forward. He looked at Jarronus, "Your ancestor the Knight Paladin saved my father from the drow war when he blew it to the hells. I'll watch it first."

Jarronus nodded, "Thank you."

He went inside the home after locking the main house. The bag Jarronus got from the other house was not magical so he carried it inside. He went to the war room and started pulling things out of it and laying them out. He chuckled when he read the notes and looked at the designs. Then the navigational charts. It gave him the location to the other shelter. He put it all away and walked over and ate four meals with the brides to be.

He looked at them, "Did I overstep?"

They shook their heads and smiled. He got up and went to see his students. "Brima follow me." He got to the end, past their rooms, and cast another portal.

She shook her head, "How many of these are you going to put in here?" He smiled, "Be glad I am not setting it up so they can ride horses in here. Yet."

She chuckled as he finished and opened the portal. She looked in, "What in the nine hells is this?"

He smiled, "An acrobatic training room. Apprentices over here." They came out of their rooms. "This is where you will practice your acrobatics on the ground and up to the ceiling when you get good enough. These were not taught to me to this degree by my instructor. It will be taught better. I will set up a long room at some point for you to take your horses and practice dismounts from a saddle. Tomorrow will be the practice arena. Two hours in here practicing flips from the first beam to the ground.

He walked over and flipped up onto it and then did a triple flip and landed on his feet. He flipped back and did a single flip. "You will start with that single flip after dinner for two hours. If anyone gets hurt please see our resident cleric."

He walked out to the main home, "Secure entry, add access to house guards only when this wall is in place." Jarronus turned on the crystal. He looked at the students. "Start the drills."

Brima sighed, "You going swimming."

He smiled. He headed to his room. She gave Jarronus a wicked grin. He went up and his crystals were missing. He shook his head.

He went down, "You ladies in on the theft of the crystals to lock out my room?"

They smiled. "I have a stack of scrolls to lock it down. Do not make me waste them. I will be upstairs, please return them."

They frowned and he went up to his room. He got out of his armor and removed his gloves. Brima came in and set his crystals down with a frown.

He got up and gave her a very warm and long kiss. "It is just another two days. Trying to remove the temptation. Short of going back to the other shelter."

She shook her head, "No. We want you here."