Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 05 Pt. 01

He smiled and bowed, "Yes, your Majesty."

She stood. He sighed again, "I would also like to make a petition for one of my other apprentices. Jack Smith is an elf-blooded from the Stormcloud family. A family that served with distinction with several champions when his ancestor became the first head of the multi-faith church in Quatarsia.

His human family left him to the elven family to take as they wanted nothing to do with him. I am petitioning that he be allowed to form a new house. House Storm Blade."

She smiled, "You are doing this because he is not yet an adult?"

He nodded, "Yes, your Majesty. He is 8 years from that but I want his records in the great hall to reflect his new name from the start of his training."

She nodded, "Get me the application with the house symbol and I will approve it for your apprentice. This is not without precedence. Jack Storm Blade please step forward."

He stepped forward and Jarronus pulled him in front of him. Jarronus looked at her, "First time to the Palace, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "You heard what I told the other apprentice?"

He nodded, Yes, your Majesty."

She smiled, "Same goes for you."

She looked at him, "Who is your third?"

He smiled, "Apprentice Silver Moon, Your Majesty."

She smiled, "An honored family. Is he an heir to the blade?"

Jarronus looked at her, "I do not know, Your Majesty."

She smiled, "Apprentice Silver Moon come forward."

He stepped forward and stopped on the line on the other side of Jarronus. She looked at him, "Are you an heir to the blade?"

He looked at Queen Goldeagle, "I know he is my great, great, great grandfather. I do not know if I am an heir to the blade."

She looked over, "Knight Silver Moon is this young man on the list for potential blade wielders?"

Silver Moon smiled, "His father and I have been at odds for years. Especially in faith over the Gods. Seeing the direction he is taking I would say he would be on that list. It is a really small list. Even though I have had several children and grandchildren."

Jarronus smiled, "Your Majesty, the boy's father got an eye-opening experience with the Lady of Dreams. When I purified the first set of rings at Silent Falls, I had him follow me. He was not happy about his selection but then had a sudden change of heart on the matter."

She chuckled and walked back toward her throne, "I would like to see all of my Moon Blade wielders and my new Dames in the upper conference room. Please bring your other bride to be and your apprentices."

She left the room and he took them all up to the conference room in question. The portal in the corner was open and the Dwarven King was inside looking over things.

He looked at them, "Give me a moment."

He walked in, "Seal portal. Your Majesty, I had a question for you. Are all of your tunnels on that side blocked?"

He shook his head, "No the balance of the area is still technically open. We have some tunnels that go all the way down. We just have quite a few destroyed homes where the lava ran. Why do you ask?"

He sighed, "There is supposed to be a return of the Drow, orc, ogre, and giants. The question is if they are in league together and the lava field makes that valley impassable. What direction will they all come from?"

His eyes went wide, "I will make sure my security forces are monitoring those passages. We are still several years out but that was a very good question to ask. The dragons went in and found over a dozen infiltrators in the human government. One was the number two to the King and he had been poisoned twice but lived.

His health is not the greatest now because of the attempts. His son who will be eligible in six months to follow is the next likely heir now. The other conspirator was his brother."

He nodded, "Check your own, your Majesty. Elves and humans. Why not dwarves as well? It has happened before. Unseal portal."

He nodded to Jarronus as he stepped outside. He saw the Queen enter and she looked at them, "Please sit and we will speak freely here. Silverbar involvement was a surprise."

Knight Silverbar nodded, "They rescinded the council a few hundred years ago. Stating House Silvertree showed what a failure that idea was."

Jarronus shook his head, "Losing all of your elders to drow assassins was what caused the biggest upheaval. I do not even know what happened with the Duchy."

The Queen looked at him, "The last Duke tried to turn it into a pay to access the roads. Said he was not making enough compared to the rest of the house. They apparently changed the way profits were being distributed to what percentage your branch was bringing in. He could not change the town charter so he set escorts to two guards.

If merchants wanted more, they had to pay extra for them. After the second 'spontaneous robbery' the Duchy was disbanded, he was jailed, and the Blades disbanded."

He looked at her, "I would like you to remove the hereditary from the title. I want them to earn everything. They are effectively a baron by being the head of a house."

She shook her head, "I would have made you a Duke but I had no spot open for that. I cannot, by the direction of the Gods, put you into the military. Yes, they spoke with me on that matter. What did the dwarven King want?"

Jarronus smiled, "He told me what was happening in the human kingdoms. I told him he should check his own. Also, to monitor the open tunnels. With the lava fields in place, where will the attack originate from?"

She sighed, "What would you recommend?"

He looked at her, "Send every mage who is maxed out on tier 9 spells and send them to me. From a newly graduated to 300 years of age. Starting with the youngest and most talented."

She smiled, "You could not hope to teach them all?"

He smiled, "No, but if I have learned anything from reading my journal when dealing with the royal family it is better to ask for the moon and settle for a few stars."

Everyone chuckled. "I need to find 10-12. I need the top 3 research enchanters to work from my library. Away from the tower."

She looked at Jarronus, "Why the researchers?"

He looked at her, "The shields. When they found the man working the shields he was working alone. If you want them to last, someone has got to go over everything they did. The original tomes, notes, and spellbooks. Then figure out what was missed to make them eternal.

She looked at Jarronus, "I will contact the city Academy and find the top 20 Enchanters that they have on file in the last hundred years. If necessary, I will conscript them into service. Anything else?"

He nodded, "I need at least 4 battle mages with a strong family history of draconic sorcerers. 8 would be better. Coming from both Academies. Then we need the dragons to send their students for the mythic stuff. I gave them a complete set of books.

The goddess told me those rings had draconic mythic necromancy on them. The dragons need to be made aware that the enemy already has this ability. I need them in 3 days. It lets me get things set up with my home here in town. I will likely recommend 3 of them to be assigned to the shields.

Some of those battle mages will be conscripted into this unit I have to work with. I think our dragon champion should head the unit. He can assume a human form and keep it more consistent. Also, they can recruit and vet the humans we need as overall they get infiltrated or corrupted more than any of our other allies."

She smiled, "I will talk with Majisa about that idea. I believe it has merit. They have been hesitant about identifying the champion. Let me speak with her for a minute."

She walked off to a corner of the room and talked for twenty minutes and returned. She looked at Jarronus, "They will be there in 3 days. She was very disturbed by that information. She said to expect at least 4 dragons to start this training. They will bring their books."

They sat and ate a mid-day meal with the Queen and she had a casual conversation with his apprentices. He thought from the exchange she looked forward to motherhood. They departed an hour later and gathered. He took them to the enchanters. Being a Count came with a royal discount, just not as big of one as a Duke.

He walked inside and she smiled, "Back again?"

Jarronus nodded, "I want heightened elven chain mail. Three sets blacked out. One elven full plate the same way and silenced. One of the chain mail and full plate I want to put command words to display Silvertree heraldry or to hide it. Five poison immunity necklaces. Two House Silvertree cloaks high-end protection with minor displacement. Five death ward belts, two highest resistance rings, four boots of elven kind. Four high-end cloaks of protections with minor displacement and elven-kind stealth features.

I need cloak pins, House Silvertree but I need them to have a command word to change the appearance to something else. They will only function for an elf or elf-blooded members of House Silvertree. Like two dragons interlocked in a fight. Six handy haversacks, four small bags of holding, ten house Silvertree saddles with no House Silvertree markings. Five in black and five in brown. Including reigns with poison resistance.

Five sets of gloves of storing that will disappear into the skin. All of them with hidden lock picks. Five chests suitable for the secret chest spell."

She looked at Jarronus, "You know you can only use one of these chests at a time, right?"

Jarronus smiled, "I know. They are for five different people."

She sighed, "Some of this will take a while to craft."

Jarronus nodded, "I know."

He handed her his tube and she looked at him wide-eyed. She sat there and read through it all.

She looked at Jarronus, "Very well, Count Silvertree."

He shook his head, "Master Trainer Silvertree works. I am not comfortable with titles. Please have the chests sent to House Silvertree."

She looked at Jarronus, "I have to ask. You have so much money. Why use the discount if you do not like the title?"

Jarronus nodded, "Fair question. My house rules were recently changed by me. To restrict money-making ventures. If we had an enchanter in my house they would be expected to work on crafting for the royal family, church, the house, or the army.

Charging only what it cost to actually make the item; maybe 10% above that. Not double. In short, a lot of enchanters charge too much for their services. Especially for what they pay the people working for them.

They are some of the richest people in the city. The family that owns this business. They spread it across a very large family into personal accounts. They live very lavish lifestyles. They have the finest of everything. Trust me I went to school with many of them. When was the last time you heard of them giving money to the crown?"

She chuckled, "Never."

He smiled, "I gave away over 80 billion. Most of that to the crown for the upcoming war. Gold and greed have led to a level of corruption over the years. That is why the main trust has no money-making activities going into it."

He pulled out the four medals set them on her counter, "Each one came with a monetary reward. Being in the army or sponsored mercenary company in service to the crown comes with some form of payment."

He showed her his house ruled on compensation. She looked at it, "Gives them more than enough to live a comfortable life while in service to the crown. You favor the wives and mothers in this arrangement."

He nodded, "Without love and dedication of the mothers a family does not have a strong moral foundation. They have to be the right women. This does not stop any of them from leaving money from their personal account to their children or giving it back to the main trust. It does not constrain those who wish to blaze their own path. It just has consequences."

She smiled, "I know what you mean about the wages. When we enchant something, we only get a small fraction of the money coming back to us. They restrict our growth because a lot of us are not Academy graduates. By doing that we are kept away from being good enough to become masters."

He nodded, "One of Eldar's first wives was like that. Her name was Staria Crescent Moon before they married and her house died. He got her a master level trainer who just finished a major project for him to get his Master level. The thing is one of the spells he needed for the project he got from Staria. From an enchanter's book, Eldar had captured. Some really rare stuff. Which reminds me."

He pulled two swords out. "Apprentice Storm Blade. You remember this sword?"

He nodded, "Yes Master Trainer. The one you asked my aunt to use to cut off my hands." He nodded. He turned to Silver Moon, "This one goes to you. Until your family, Moon Blade ends up in your hands or you find something better.

Taken from a former student of my master that I had to kill for going rogue. While this other blade plays well into our conversation. This sword was the sword that got that Master Enchanter his Master level of accomplishment."

He drew the blade and they watched the black arcs of lightning run across the blade. "Wielded by one of Eldar's first six wives and then the Mother of Paladins. It has a history. Named 'Black Light' Lightning-based with paralysis and haste functions."

The saleswoman looked at it, "I have never seen that enchantment."

He smiled, "It is one of several hundred in the enchanter section of the Silvertree library."

He looked at the sales lady, "Have you asked yourself why is Count Silvertree telling me this? I am from such a small house. House Silver Flute."

She looked at him oddly, "How do you know what house I am from?"

He smiled and sheathed the sword. He gave it to Storm Blade. He smiled and put the blade on around him.

He looked at her, "The Lady of Dreams gave that name to me while I recovered from that battle at the Palace. Trisa Golden Bow who had agreed to marry me but died in that battle. The Lady of Dreams told me you would be an excellent candidate for a second wife of four. These ladies have all agreed to marry me.

The Lady of Dreams wants me to have four wives to rebuild House Silvertree. I am the last. Until I marry and produce heirs. Which will happen in 9 days when I am of age. Do you have sorcerers in your family line?"

She nodded, "My mother was one. I have a younger brother who was taken to the Academy because he started manifesting powers at 30. You are asking me to marry you?"

He smiled, "We would have to love for each other, but yes. That would be the goal. I asked because I am also into doing some enchanting. Including some most mages would love to learn. Yet, they would be incapable of it unless they have draconic blood in the family line. Then only if they have some running in them. When are you off of work?"

She looked at Jarronus, "This is my short day. We get one short day and one day off which is tomorrow for me. Every week. I need to run your order through and let them know it is time to bring one of the others up front. They only work up here when I am not here."

He nodded, "Bring the chests then. You can help deliver them to the new main house with me. You likely heard about the explosion."

She nodded, "I went by to see for myself. Surprised anyone survived that. If not for the outer wall it would have taken out the neighboring houses. As it was, a couple of dozen taller homes lost roofs and busted windows. The owners petitioned the Queen to have you pay for the costs.

The Queen picked up the costs instead. Told them it was an attack on all of the elven people. Rumor has it was drow assassins. Another said dwarven explosives being experimented with."

He chuckled, "Drow is true. It was a holy symbol exploding from a drow champion."

She looked at Jarronus, "You killed a drow champion?!"

Brima looked at her, "He is a Champion. He called it out in open court as a champion-on-champion attack. The Queen unintentionally forced him to make the announcement in open court."

She looked at him, "I will get your order and meet you out front once I apply this to your account."

She ran the account and then went and got everything.

He looked at the apprentices, "Help her carry it out to the horses. They lined up and carried items out to the horses. He grouped them up into two groups. She came out and looked at the stuff stacked, "You making two trips?"

He nodded. He teleported the wives to be and their horses out. Jarronus went back to the shop and took her, his apprentices, and put them at the front door of the new home. She looked at it, "Smaller than I expected."

He smiled and opened the twelve-foot-tall doors. She walked in. She walked around, "There are no interior doors."

He nodded. He did a search of the house while his students moved stuff inside. He walked out to the great tree and removed six inches of dirt and found the handles. Jarronus opened the small vault. The ladies watched from the door. He pulled off a large stone slab and set it to the side.

He reached down and deactivated two of the three crystals in the hole. He dropped into the vault. He teleported himself and the six massive trunks into the house. He activated the one for scrying and teleport. "This is the only door in."

Jarronus walked back out and sealed the vaults and covered it over. He walked back to the house. "My mother and I placed a lot of the house valuables and the library into trunks over the years. We sealed them into that vault with crystals that blocked scrying and teleportation activated. The top is heavily warded to any but a Silvertree family member. They will work to kill you."

He pulled the horses into the entryway.

She looked at Jarronus, "Sharing your home with your horses?"

He smiled, "In a manner of speaking. He closed the doors and used the crystals to secure the entire home. She heard it click. She looked at Jarronus, "You sealed us in?"

He nodded and walked up to the wall and started casting. Four spells later and he stopped. He opened the portal and she looked inside and her mouth fell open.

He looked at everyone, "Remove anything you wish to access out of bags of holding now. You will keep your normal packs. Put them in your haversacks or bags of holding while traveling. Pull out your pack before walking in as they will not work in there."

He took out his pack from his bag of holding and the twelve tomes he wanted.

He carried them in and set them down. He then pulled out all of the ink, blank books, book of scrolls and set them all down inside with his bag. He started taking all of the chests for the secret chest spell inside and further down and stacked them up. The ladies still gawked at the place.

He sighed, "Yes, it is different than the one in Quatarsia. This one is my design. The bedroom at the top center of the second floor is the master. The double doors at the bottom is not a bedroom. There are no first-floor bedrooms. Off to the right is a dining area that will seat 40 just beyond those two arches.

Off to the left, you will see the same thing except it is designed as a war room. With 3 maps like the others, any gear you have that is extra-dimensional leave it in your bedroom. Apprentices off to the left first three rooms. Ladies if you are staying. Off to the right first four rooms. Please store your stuff then join me down here. They went and looked at or found rooms. They came back down.

He looked at Silver Flute, "This is semi-permanent. I need a second who can cast permanency and the mythic draconic spell known as 'God's lock' to make it permanent."

She looked at one of the bedrooms and came back out. She walked down. Brima looked at Jarronus, "This one is smaller."

He smiled and went to the double doors at the end of the ground level. He opened them to the large grass area. They stared at the falls that were double the height. She looked at the ceiling, "You put the sky out here instead of the entryway. Then added some torches."