Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 06

Someone should check to see if there are any signs of camps from the grounds below there. If the idiot son of yours who did not give you the message last night still lives you might want to have him check them all out."

She sighed, "He lives. It was one of your uncles who died. The one who you saved 3 years ago."

Serius shook his head, "His arrogance caught up with him?"

She sighed, "From what I hear he had the fucker in mouth squeezing the life out of the orog.

Not knowing it was a champion. I would say yes. His brothers are nodding. They had been strafing breath weapons on the little fucker and your uncle went in and tried to take his head off. Your other uncles are dividing up with three dragon teams to check the other sites. To see if any other champions are out there. Watch your back."

The crystal went dark. Serius looked across the room, "Welcome to a glimpse into my life."

His younger brother looked at him, "On second thought, I do not want to know about violet or headquarters."

Serius chuckled and nodded, "That is fine as well."

The Queen looked worried. Serius smiled, "I need to get a new mount and check on those two sites."

She shook her head, "You need to find a wife or four."

He chuckled, "Invite them into this hell? I am not sure that is something I wish to do."

Brima looked at him, "You have an obligation to that sword."

He nodded, "The longer I put it off the longer I live right now. Right?!"

She sighed, "That is not a great attitude."

Serius nodded, "I have a group to put together. Maybe I will find the right one while doing that."

She nodded, "I will not push."

He laughed, "Yes you will from a distance."

She sighed, "Because you keep me at a distance."

Serius nodded, "To keep you alive."

He handed the Queen his old papers and she took them and sighed, "Very well. I expect to see you more often."

Serius nodded," Once a year at least."

Queen Goldeagle shook her head at him, "My Audience chamber before you go."

Serius nodded, "Then that would be now, Your Majesty."

She sighed, "No rest for the wicked."

Serius smiled, "Have not been old enough long enough to be wicked yet. Give me another week at least."

His siblings laughed. Serius walked out with the Queen and his family trailing. Serius got to her audience chamber and the guards opened the door for her and she opened her drawer.

She set a bag on her desk, "Another 20 sets of communication crystals, 3 more sets of these crystals to secure your access, and six pairs of these glasses."

She looked at him, "I need a living general."

He nodded, "I know. Been doing that so far. The first night staying in one non-secure shelter and the place is destroyed. I want to hit the enchanters district."

She nodded, "Something special?"

He smiled, "More crafting supplies."

She shook her head, "You got a 1,000 wands just three years ago."

Serius nodded, "Time for more. That and I need to hit the bank."

She shook her head, "Why the bank?"

He smiled, "I have to keep my personal holding below 10 million. The way you keep throwing medals at me I need to transfer some back into the main trust."

She nodded, "Alright but you stay safe."

He nodded, "I will try to do that. Being hunted for the last 3-4 years has not helped with that."

He walked out and headed for the front door and out to his horse. He had none of them waiting for him. He mounted up and rode toward the market district.

He blew through the gate and made it to the bank. He walked inside and walked up to an associate, "I need the balance on this account." She looked at the information and wrote a figure down. He looked at her, "Transfer three and half million back into the main trust for house Silvertree. She looked at the account number and then what was in the trust and her mouth fell open, "You are putting money back into that?"

He nodded, "Yes."

He set his tube down.

She looked at it and nodded, "Done, Duke Silvertree."

Serius nodded, "Take care."

He went outside and went to enchanter's row. He walked into a shop and there was a new girl here since the last time he was here. She looked at him, "Can I help you?"

He nodded, "Yes, how many scrolls of the mansion spell do you have?"

She looked, "20."

He nodded, "I will take them all. Also need 500 blank wands, 2,000 sheets of parchment, and 40 containers of ink. With a 100 eagle feather quills."

She chuckled, "Teaching classes?"

He shook his head, "Just things to do in my free time."

She shook her head, "You have a lot of free time?"

He pulled out six tomes of scrolls and she looked at them. Then Serius pulled out 1,100 wands in 11 bundles.

She looked at him, "You could make a fortune with all of that."

He put it all away. "I do not need a fortune. A hundred years of peace would be nice."

She smiled, "It has been peaceful."

Serius smiled, "No, it has not."

Serius handed her his tube and she looked at and her eyes went through all of the medals it listed. She looked at Serius, "Says you got the last 2 of them 3 years ago.

He nodded. "When I was 72. I have been moving around for the last 3 years."

She looked at Serius, "Why?"

Serius pointed to a line in his paperwork and her eyes went big, "You are a champion?"

Serius nodded, "Which is a nice way of saying target."

He gave her his account number and she got him his supplies. He rode off toward the main gate but turned toward the adult shop and went inside. He went back and got 40 bottles of lubricant.

He stored them paying gold for them. He walked out and mounted up and headed for the gate. He heard, "Danger."

He sighed and thought, "What else is fucking new."

He rode out the gate and immediately teleported away to the east road of Quatarsia. He moved inside and teleported to the pasture. He thought, "Time to find me another stallion. Regin."

He unmounted and took the tack and gear off. A Gray stallion came out and he looked at him, "Shi."

He heard, "Just shadow?"

Serius smiled, "Be honored Shi'Drakon was an ancestor's favored horse. He was a shadow steed. I need you to move like a shadow. Here one minute and gone the next. I am constantly hunted."

A crystal buzzed and he pulled it out. Majisa spoke, "Every shelter had a campsite in the area. Some occupied with human assassins, three of them had half-dragons in the area. They teleported away when spotted. At least three different groups.

Serius sighed, "Let the Queen know I got a danger alert as I left the main gate. I teleported out immediately. I am getting my new horse ready to begin my life in hiding."

She sighed, "Come here."

He shook his head, "Not this time. I am going off communication for about a month."

He heard her groan, "Why?"

Serius smiled, "Luring them away. It gives you a chance to decide where you want the headquarters if we are still doing that."

He mounted up and headed for the border with the humans and he got, "Danger."

Before he even got outside the shield and He teleported to the east road and got "Danger again."

He teleported to the fourth floor of the inn and went inside the shelter and sealed it off, "Moon Blade wielders only." He took Shi into the back, "We were boxed in on two roads. My sword danger warning kept going off. We will give it a few days here."

Serius hooked him up with food and took him back to the falls. "Unless Strong Oak shows."

He stripped down and went for a swim. Serius came out of the water and got dressed as Strong Oak walked in. He looked at Serius, "Three years and they heard a horse up here."

He nodded, "Need a favor. The south road alerted to danger, same with the east road, the main gate coming out of the capital. I need to get my horse and get mounted up and need you to drop teleport for thirty seconds. He sighed, "It will help?"

Serius looked at him and he put the gear on his horse and got his gear packed up. He walked over to the war table, "We had a new base set up out here. With an alternate over here underground. Both compromised."

He zoomed out. "Then the elven high elevation shelters. They had assassins and half-dragons waiting in the area at every single one of them. Dragons went and checked them all. After I got attacked at this location by a champion that I avoided. I wear a non-detection cloak."

He shook his head, "They hunt you wherever you go. How are you going to avoid them? Serius smiled, "By going someplace very difficult for them to get to. He rolled the map around, "Shelter fifteen. With a stop here first."

He looked at Serius, "That is the other side of the world."

He nodded, "Never been there but I have the ability to get there through the sword."

He nodded. "Alright." Serius put a proof against poison on him and Shi. He opened the shelter door and it alerted, "Danger!" Serius yelled over, "Company!" Duke Strong Oak got hit with a bolt in the shoulder. Serius sighed and cast two acid explosions down the hall. He closed the portal. He pulled the bolt and it was poisoned. He gave him a cure light and shook his head. Serius opened the portal again and got no alert. They stepped out and found three dead humans.

Serius looked at them, "Here is a communication crystal. When you find something out about these 3 let me know."

He nodded, Serius mounted up, "Seal portal to all but the blade wielder."

Duke Strong Oak pulled a crystal, "Drop teleportation."

He heard, "Down."

Serius teleported away near the old academy in the Far East. He looked around and switched forms to a human. He went for a ride. An hour later he got, "Danger."

He teleported to Pegasus island. He waited for a good hour riding around the island and three dragons teleported into the area.

He teleported to Griffon's Peak. Danger alert went off 45 minutes later. Serius teleported to Majisa and looked at the man, "Get Majisa, please."

He opened the portal and took his mount inside. He walked up to a table and ordered food.

One of the dragons looked at Serius, "Who do you think you are?"

Serius looked at him, "The one person who could lock everyone in here for eternity. Duke Silvertree. My ancestors created this shelter. Which means I have complete control over it and three others here. Shelter shut off food access." He pointed. "Try it."

He tried to order up something and nothing happened. "Turn food access back on for anyone."

He ordered up something and nodded, "You can blackmail my kind?"

Serius shook his head, "No, I do not blackmail your kind. I made a point that stopping me from getting something to eat is a silly argument to make. Majisa came in and looked at Serius. She sighed, "What changed your mind?"

Serius walked over to the map, "Danger alert as I left the city. Again. I tried to leave on the south road and then again when I tried the east road. Then three humans attacked me on the fourth floor hitting Strong Oak in the shoulder. I had neutralized the poison before opening the portal. They are using weapons that imbue the ammo to get past the horses, He drops the teleport block, I end up."

He moved the map, "Out here. An hour, danger alert. I went out here." He zoomed in on Pegasus island. "Had three dragons teleport in an hour later. Then I went here, to Griffins Peak. 45 minutes. Now tell me how they are tracking me consistently with a non-detection item on?"

She shook her head, "Divine direction?"

Serius nodded, "Or demonic."

She sighed, "What do you need?"

He smiled, "A place to sleep for a while."

She nodded, "You got it."

She pointed to a room, "Belonged to your uncle."

He took his horse, "I know I treated him here." Serius went inside and unsaddled the horse. He laid down and dreamt of being at the falls for the first time in years. He saw them approaching and he took a knee. He heard him sigh, "Stand champion."

Serius stood. He looked at Serius, "We are giving you divine non-detection. Something to block out this malevolent force."

He nodded, "Noted, add that to the damned sword."

He chuckled, "I would allow it given the trouble this has become. You did an excellent job of avoiding capture or being killed for three years. You have multiple entities after you. They appear to be working together. Let them use their eyes."

He sighed, "Anything else?"

He looked at Serius, "Find love."

Serius smiled, "I did that 3 years ago. We travel in different circles."

He nodded, "She could never be a wife to you."

Serius nodded, "There were dragons that could never be a wife to my father. Still spent time together and had children."

He nodded, "True, but she could not be with you more than a night. Would not be fair to either of you."

Serius looked at him, "There has been nothing fair about the last 3 years for me. I also think about what celestial blood would bring to the next blade wielder as well."

He sighed, "They would never be able to hold your title without a fight."

Serius nodded, "It needs to be separated. No time to worry about a title and service with the blade. Eldar made that separation and it was the right decision."

He nodded, "The house still got corrupted."

He smiled, "The rules are working. Those who think they will or want to start a business are separating off. Almost two-thirds of them if you count the half-dragons. I am just asking you to consider it. All I can do and only if she is willing because she is attracted to me. Not because she thinks she owes me anything. That is simply playful banter."

He sighed and nodded, "I will think about it. We will see what she has to say on the matter."

The Lady of Dreams just smiled and winked at him. He woke up and prayed and got his spells and abilities back. He studied up his spells and then thought, "Varus'Nor I have a new ability given to me by the gods and I want to add it to the sword. A Divine Non-detection ability. That would be my choice so they are never hunted as I have been over the last few years."

He heard Varus'Nor sigh, "Excellent gift from the gods and it is added. Like the Dragon-eyes, it will be unique."

Serius thought, "I also made it known I want to have children with the Solar I encountered. Even if we are not allowed to marry or have more than a night together."

Varus'Nor sighed, "That is a tough love to deal with. But better to love once than not at all. Any children would be talented."

He thought, "Suitable for the sword but not the tile separating them out as Eldar did. According to the gods they could not hold the title like Eldar did."

Serius heard Varus'Nor laugh, "Good way to divide that off then. Your father set provisions for them to be separated out."

Serius thought back, "Not a done deal but the Lady of Dreams seemed to be pleased with me voicing my thoughts on the matter."

He heard a chuckle as he got dressed and his armor on.

---

The Lady of Dreams looked at Corellon Larethian, "His life has been hell for almost 4 years. He has not made any outlandish requests and his thoughts on celestial blood would be something new for his family. We both know she would be willing. She has voiced as much to me years ago. She has watched over him unseen in some of his dreams that revolve around her."

Corellon Larethian sighed, "I am afraid they would go too far. The connection would be too strong for him to find another. A true wife or three."

She sighed, "All the more reason to do it. Champions can be stubborn. You turn him down and his heart may never open to another."

Corellon Larethian looked at the Lady of Dreams, "If she agrees then I will allow it for one night. He is right, it would produce an impressive champion, two in fact. One to be with her Mother. Another agent of good I could use in any world we have followers if it came down to it for either of them and not just this world.

Yet so much is uncertain, this creature hunting him has me concerned. I am hoping it is not him, but the way this has been going, I am starting to believe the champion is right. That is even more troublesome."

---

Serius switched his form to look human. He saddled up his horse and walked out. He saw Majisa at the table and he looked at her, "Hello."

She looked back and sighed, "We had a dragon attack here last night. We killed 20 and they killed 10. We took out their champion. That ended this wave of attacks. Some of the others are blaming your presence."

Serius nodded, "Dragons are attacking dragons, including a dragon champion facing an opposing dragon champion. Yet it is the presence of one elf that is 'the cause'." He sighed. "I will fix that."

She looked at him and sighed, "I don't hold that view, but how are you going to fix it?"

He smiled, "To be seen at another location and then disappear."

She looked at him, "How?"

Serius smiled, "The gods are interceding. They believe I am being tracked by demonic means. They have given me a divine non-detection ability. I have set it so if I die it goes to the sword. This will not happen to another blade wielder. I need you to set up the primary and secondary headquarters. Seal them up from the surface. Use these two sets of crystals to shut off scrying, lock it down; even from teleportation.

I need my uncle the champion for a few hours at each location and another mythic caster. I have the shelter spell on scrolls. I can explain what I want for security. They make me two that are permanent and then build the structure around them and I have two possible homes away from the elven people if need be. Two headquarters."

She nodded, "Alright, let me get your uncles. They can help you. You are not to blame. You drew their champion to us which is good because he is off the field. Ours is still on the field."

He nodded, "That makes two of theirs down. We still have the drow and this demonic one. Or whatever in the hells it is."

She nodded and then stepped outside. He got stared at by several dragons. His uncles showed up and he laid out what he wanted from the current layout. What he wanted to change. They nodded their understanding.

They stepped out and teleported to the primary site. He cast up the new design and went inside. He activated crystals and the doors all popped open from this side. They nodded their understanding. "Same blade and wall configuration from my home need to be added."

He pointed up and they nodded at the new banners. It had the Knights logo on them with a Moon blade below them. The falls were small and extremely shallow; enough for the horses to drink but not to swim. They set up security and made it permanent. They teleported them over to the alternate location and repeated the process.

They got it set and understood what he wanted for the building. The theory behind sealing off the areas until the structures were built and an outer wall to secure an inner sanctum. Once he got everything set, He took them back to dragon lands.

He looked at them, "I am flying out of here. If a dragon pursues me, let it go. I will teleport to the range of its vision and let it try and catch up with me. I will do this all the way to the lava pit and let it close in on me as I dive into it and teleport out.

If it follows me it is a fool. Regardless I will teleport out to Quatarsia and then I will head to shelter eight. You said half-dragons had been in that area. I have a surprise or two for them."

They nodded, "Good luck."

He nodded and took off. He was only a few miles from the dragon border when two dragons approached him. He teleported twenty miles ahead and 10 miles behind them. They pursued him. He had a black and a blue chasing him. He let them get close and teleported another 20 miles away.

As he figured, they had contacted others. He soon had four coming at him; two from the 2 front and back. He teleported one more time behind the two approached, A green and white before they got into breath weapon range. He now had 4chasing him toward the new pit. He went up and straight down into the pit and two followed, the green and black. Serius threw a force web on them and snagged both of them. He teleported out to the edge of Quatarsia on the southern border and ran like the wind into the shield.