Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 05 Pt. 01

Jarronus looked at her, "Someone should contact our allies to find out if the body is of any use to them before we disintegrate it."

He hugged her to him for a moment. "I am doing my job as a Master Trainer Blade Singer and a Champion of Corellon Larethian."

She released and he quickly followed. She stated angrily, "I want to see this dragon."

Jarronus nodded, "I told your Guard Captain to send someone to get his damned glasses. Seven dead elves are under or behind the dragon. I recommend you start wearing a set and use the mental blocking circlet inside of your crown.

Eldar gave the King one when he feared being controlled by Annette. They captured it off of a spy. Karti'Ros has that ability."

She nodded, "I already wear it after Amy came. It scared me some as well. Then to know it was prevalent in our society because of that breeding. Something not voiced as a concern by my ancestor's journals. In fact, the King of that age saw it as advantageous to the elven people. Another weapon in the arsenal, but none have sought to capitalize upon it from the royal family."

Jarronus led the way out for the group. She had her guard and all the Moon Blade wielders with her. While they walked, she grabbed a crystal. "Palace throne Room, Violet alert." They got to the throne room and she walked around. She looked at all the dead elves before her.

Her anger boiled over as the Dragons arrived. She looked at the Dragons, "I WANT THAT SHIELD BACK UP!"

Lord Regal looked at her, "We do not have a caster who can do that."

Jarronus looked at him, "Yet. I was given access to my dragon blood. I brought this guy to a stop with a force web. A draconic spell. I have access to draconic mythic spells as well. I was told to teach the dragons about their own lost spells. Also, I am allowed to teach other mages how to tap into their draconic blood to cast the spells.

Not all will be able to do it, but several will be able to do it without switching into a dragon. I just did. A lot of dragons and half-dragon introduced more dragon blood into our society. It bodes well for finding those we need.

Corellon Larethian referred to me as a teacher at this point. I have to find and train three Blade Singers; taking them with me when I leave here in 30 years. I need your 2 top arcane dragons to train. One of them would be coming with me on this mission if you ever manage to rebuild your system in a timely manner.

We are supposed to be planning together for that eventuality. As we have at least one dragon problem, if not more. They will train others to go with me. While the other will train your dragons back home."

Lord Regal looked at Jarronus, "I will not allow it."

Jarronus looked at him, "We should ask Majisa about this. She is the one who will be leading. Would you want to deprive her of these resources in direct conflict with the wishes of Bahamut? As to what I do with the elves, that would not be your call to make. An agreement between the Gods was reached. Sorry, if they did not bother to consult you first."

---

Lord Regal heard Bahamut yet again, "His ancestors destroyed that dragon champion that you could not. I told you centuries ago that if that ever occurred, I would open draconic magic to the race who took care of it. Jazzia was the first. From Jarronus it will spread. That is my will in this matter."

---

Lord Regal walked off and got on a crystal. Soon they had three more dragons present, including Majisa. Jarronus nodded to her, "Good to see you again. Your thoughts on the wishes of Bahamut wanting your people to know about draconic mythic magic now, instead of a 1,000 years from now when you might have a teacher ready?"

She nodded, "I am more open to the idea. I know how it saved our young while the Kingdom was gone. The shields were a brilliant idea but they did have holes."

He nodded and looked at the Queen, "Getting rid of the bigger holes is a start. We can start on this in 3 days. I have to travel tomorrow. I will teach the enchanters to work on the shields. It would not be work you want me doing. Anything happens to me the magic fades away and it has to be done all over again. Not something you want in a situation where I am away and in constant danger, Your Majesty."

Queen Goldeagle nodded, "Can we get rid of this dragon corpse so we can get our people out? To return the bodies to their families for burial?"

She looked at the dragons and they took the corpse away.

Jarronus looked at Majisa, "I hope you destroy it quickly. The Draco-lich probably had a 1,000 corpses stacked up now."

She nodded, "They will collect some information and then disintegrate it. No more than an hour."

Jarronus smiled, "At least you did not say that is was 'dragon business.'"

She smiled at him, "I remember you warned about using that statement with you. I reserve it for when it is only dragon business and internal to our society. In the spirit of our alliance, I avoid that statement."

The Queen went over and had the Guard Captain relieved of duty for dereliction of duty. Another was called in and got caught up on what happened. He put his glasses on immediately as the Queen tore into him for not having them on already.

The bodies were cleared out and what would have been the morning activities occurred after the mid-day meal, with a less hostile audience. Most of the audience returned, including the blade wielders.

She looked out, "Some do not know why you were summoned here. Some only know a part of the picture. Moon Blade holder Strong Oak please come forward and take a knee."

He did so. She looked over at Jarronus, "As was pointed out to me, the Duchy to the south should not have been dissolved because there was another worthy heir to oversee the area. Eldar Silvertree was born from Elara Strong Oak. Because he is a descendant of a Knight Paladin, Jarronus Silvertree has no claim to the Duchy.

As a distant cousin of Eldar, your family should have been considered. That blade you carry is a promise to the elven people." She tapped him on the shoulders. "Rise Duke Strong Oak. The area is yours to prepare for battle and keep the trade routes open."

He bowed to her, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

She looked at him, "We will finance a force of a 1,000 to keep watch over this area for you."

Jarronus stepped up to the line behind him, "Your Majesty, if I may. House Silvertree would like to give 3 billion gold pieces to the Duchy and Duke to see the upgrading of fortification, arms, and armor for the people in his duchy, from the town to the villages. Silvertree Woods, the Academy, and church are still a part of my legacy.

I recently signed over control of all businesses and homes in the area to the people who have been running them. I also ensured they were in compliance with the charter created By Eldar Silvertree. With a few minor alterations from today's elders."

She smiled at Jarronus, "Very generous of you. I am sure the Duchy could use the infusion for improvements and restoration."

Jarronus bowed and stepped back. Duke Strong Oak came over to him, "You set me up, cousin."

Jarronus smiled, "I pointed out the critical mistake and the need. The way to rectify it. Letting one of your own govern over your area instead of her sending someone from the outside and trying to force cooperation. It reinforces what I told the villages. I have no right to that title and will not seek to rule over your people or conscript them if at all possible. You can do what Eldar did and use the discount to help the people en masse. Buying supplies from the Capital for the town and villages."

He nodded, "It will come as a shock to those back home for a Wood Elf to have such a title."

Jarronus chuckled, "Eldar did and he was only half wood-elf."

Duke Strong Oak chuckled as he stepped back.

New Moon stepped forward, "The Gods have selected today for me to inform you I am the Champion for Vandria Gilmadrith."

The Queen looked at Jarronus and he stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I was told the second champion would be revealed today. I will make an assumption his mission here will require troops. As such I would like to give a billion gold pieces to the champion.

To outfit his men and ensure his loved ones are taken care of after he is gone. I would also like to give the crown half of the Silvertree assets for the purposes of gearing our Kingdom and for death benefits for the pending conflicts which made its way into this throne room earlier today."

The Queen smiled, "I think that is also a very noble gesture. I read your new house laws and found them very interesting to the problem of house corruption. I hope your house emerges from the downturn it has had. Your new House Law is approved. Now step forward and take a knee please."

Jarronus did as she asked, "You have worked to save my life twice including orchestrating the takedown of a red dragon in my throne room. You are 2 weeks away from being considered an adult and you have accomplished so much I am awarding you our medal of heroism twice. As well as one for service to the Elven Kingdom."

She tapped him on the shoulders. "For your continued support and dedication to the elven people and your bravery. I hereby knight you Knight Champion and protector of the elven people. This is in addition to your hereditary title as the patron for your house which I had granted early as the last member of your house."

She looked at the other blade holders, "Moon Blade bears to the line." She went through and Knighted or made dame all of them as protectors of the Elven Kingdom. Except when she got to the other champion.

"You are a Knight Paladin and cannot hold another but will amend in that you are a protector of the elven people and Champion to Vandria Gilmadrith in the description."

She looked at the crowd, "While others froze, some ran, some like myself were carried away quickly. These men and women took down the threat in this throne room. Quickly and with a minimal loss of life. It could have been much worse. Please rise all of you."

The room erupted in applause. She looked at them, "I would like a private meeting with the new Knights and Duke. We will use my upstairs conference room for a strategy session."

They all bowed to her and waited for her to leave and they went to the conference room. They got inside and Jarronus looked at the one corner and He started casting. Four spells later and the semi-permanent shelter was in place. The Queen walked in and looked where he stood, "You put it in a different place?"

Jarronus nodded, "Yes, your Majesty. With the mythic spells, I have made it permanent for as long as I live. If I die while away from the kingdom you will know.

If a second cater casts a mythic permanency spell on it, it would survive the ages like your secure shelter. This one is different as well."

They walked in and it was wider. It had three conference tables, one less falls section in the back but the one waterfall was larger. The master had only one bed but big enough to sleep five side by side easily. Then there were rooms upstairs.

Jarronus looked at her, "This is a war room you can track the activity on three fronts or areas of interest. I left the lower areas open for expansions. Another shelter inside of the shelter if you will."

Jarronus waved everyone into the master bedroom. "Activate security!" They watched the 6-foot spikes come from the ceiling and the floor. He looked at Queen Gold Eagle as she looked at the destroyed tables. He smiled, "They self-repair. You will notice the black diamond on the floor mark the spike location. You get a dragon here you can get everyone onto a white tile and spikes will shoot up around them. Deactivate security. Set the King, Queen, or me who can use security control.

Set the King and Queen authority to add or remove people's access or access to controls. You can never remove me, or should I say the blade. As the creator cannot be removed from access and they are, in the manner by which my family casts them, created as the Silvertree Blade wielder. How Jazzia set the ownership to last over the ages.

I figured the other champion might have family in here possibly. Depending on where he needs to be. This table I have set for the southern area by default. This one is a high level of the Capital by default. The last one is set to the Big River area by default. Any of them can be moved to any part of the world. They also adjust to any changes in the lands, as they did during the return.

Communication crystals will not work in here, but that is what you have the door for. When war hits you should have someone else handling your communications. Keep it as far as reasonably safe as you can. Have themselves or if you choose to do it have a non-detection item on. It will keep them from sending barrels of dwarven explosives to you. For your use, Your Majesty."

She smiled, "I could live here when war strikes if I had to. It has security features missing from my shelter."

Jarronus nodded. He walked back to the falls and showed her the lever and changed it over to be frozen over. She looked at it, "Wondrous." He pulled the lever again and returned the room temperature to normal. Then heated it up. Then back to normal.

He looked at her, "Each bedroom has one. It can be set to feel a temperature that the occupants like and can agree upon. Nowhere near as cold or as warm as I did for the falls. That was a homage to Jazzia, this was based on her design. I am working on other designs.

She fed her children and birthed them in an area like this. She enjoyed floating in the cool water when she was stuck in her dragon form. For those that do not know I am a Storm Born Sorcerer and Blade Singer gestalt. I may be away from the kingdom when the fighting starts or before the fighting starts.

A lot depends on how the dragons come along in locating the Draco-lich. That is the current plan anyway. We all know what they say about plans. My distributing money is just starting. I want to see what kind of good you can do with the funds.

That was why I was so hard on the people in Quatarsia. The charter was an idea to put a layer of separation with the villages; close enough to the Academy to get training. Medical needs with the church. Fixing prices so that neighbors were not gouging neighbors. As time went on, my ancestor Eldar found the more power the crown gave him the more he could do for the people. Eldar used his royal discount to help bring the prices down to all of the villages and towns in the duchy. Something to consider, again, Duke Strong Oak."

Strong Oak looked at Jarronus, "That was a massive donation to the duchy and the other champion. What are these new house rules?"

He sighed, "That was a drop in the bucket. The house was drowning in money. Most of the funds came from houses trying to kill different champions or caught in illegal activity. Then some had to start craving power and money which caused corruption. Jazzia saw the dangers. She started giving money to the crown for the war. Eldar did it for testing the population to find talents within the people. My house has no money-making capability now.

The new house rules called for a life of service to the crown, church, teaching, or doing free or nearly free enchanting at no more than 10% over cost. because they do not need the money. Every new marriage and birth money will be pulled from the central account. A central trust if you will. Any family member that starts a business is cutting off that branch of the family from this central trust.

They also cut that branch off from being able to inherit the sword. If all of the branches cut off the central fund trust it goes to the Crown. After what I did today, we are still talking well in excess of 83 billion in the bank. Losing all the house elders at once in an attack hurt the integrity of the house."

He looked at Jarronus, "You had over 100 billion in gold and you are pushing it away to try and eliminate corruption?"

Jarronus nodded, "Now the Queen is facing a similar threat. Someone is waiting in the wings for her to be killed. The attacks are getting bolder. I recommend auditing houses and individual accounts for big withdrawals. Starting with those closest to the line of succession. They found layers of threats in Jazzia's day with the Royal family being attacked because his wife was not a gold-elf.

She was a daughter of House Silvertree and Majisa. Half-moon and half gold-dragon. The amount of dragon blood coursing through that branch of the family had to create some very talented casters."

Jarronus looked around the room, "New Moon was a small house who only wanted to make a difference. Goldeagle had so much selfless service. Yes, they have a lot of money and there is a tipping point, as corruption within the branches has occurred again and again. Silvertree had the 'impure bastard' who was selected to be the first Champion.

He married elf-blooded, human, and elves of every type. Silver Moon followed her heart and from what I read on 2 different entries from 2 different wielders she loved large cocks."

The group chuckled, "Strong Oak was impure with a high-elf father, Moon Ray an elf-blooded, and Tri-moon came out of Dusk Moon, and another elf-blooded. Both Dusk Moon and Tri-Moon were houses but a single member when they got the blade.

Tri-moon was also the first Vandria Gilmadrith champion. What is ironic was before the new laws, families tried to marry to increase magical bloodlines. To hell with love. My point is this. I am taking money out of the bank and putting it to work.

Get the house out of making money. Just focusing on contributing for a few millennia at least. The funds cannot be replenished and the average any one person could get is 2 million. Half that for being born 3 million if you count inheritance for those who bore children.

It is still 20,000-30,000 heirs or wives of heirs before the fund would be depleted, minimum. any money coming in from fines from patron against patron attacks go straight to the trust. In short, it is radical but this house is on the brink of destroying itself.

I am walking it back to the roots. Like Eldar with Silverbar. My father did that in his will, disowning 49 House members. Now I am young Silverbar without the dozens of younger family members in the Academy. Trying to rebuild this house again from one. Enough of the depressing stuff. How many battle mages here?"

Three hands went up. "Those capable of the maximum number of tier nine spells?"

One hand remained. Jarronus looked at him. "Moon Ray any Dragon-blooded sorcerers in your family?"

He nodded, "Only 10-20 I know about, including one of my parents."

Jarronus looked at him, "I am stealing your services for a few weeks. I want to get you up to speed on dragon spells and mythic spells. I will work with the Queens Court wizard as well. Then one more from the Capital Academy. I teach 3-4 and you work to teach others.

You can work to get the shields back up over these two locations. I teach a couple of Dragons and they can repair their shield. Where are the dragons? You called us up here, Your Majesty."

She smiled, "You were going over your vision of things for the future. Got caught up in it. First, I wanted to thank you again. Your services will be needed in the days and years to come. I am going back to look at the ruler of those eras journals. See what was written on the subject. I know I am descended from that line but some of this information is new to me.

We are distant cousins as well. I had not realized the connection. To you and Majisa. I will have people auditing the house books come morning. All guards are under orders not to walk into the Palace without those glasses if they have been issued to them. Did you have a specific question for them?"