Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 06

He heard a sigh, "I am glad you feel that way but that child will be hungry in a couple of hours."

He nodded and changed forms to a woman after picking up his crystals. He walked out and across the hall and into the War room. The Queen looked over.

He walked in and closed the portal and changed back. Queen Goldeagle nodded, "I see it with my glasses but you got that down so well." He nodded and walked forward. She looked at his son. "One night?"

He nodded, "She took the girl with her and left me my son, Brizzon. The girl's existence is a secret between you and me. You can tell him after I have passed if he does not know."

She nodded and looked at Serius, "I am unfamiliar with that name."

He nodded, "It is Celestial for 'from the heavens.' He will be the next sword-bearer. I will have that in my will and in your hands in just a moment."

She smiled, "I hope to have you around for a while."

He nodded, "That makes two of us. Now I have to find a wife or two."

She looked at Serius, "What was it like making love to a Solar?"

He smiled big, "There are no words."

She smiled at that. "Then it will be hard to beat."

Serius shook his head, "We each have a small piece of each other's heart. A wife is not in competition with her. It is two different things."

He sat down and wrote out his will really quick and gave it to her. She looked at it as he had not sealed it. She nodded, "Half of it back to the central trust, half of what remains to Brizzon. The rest divided among your surviving wives. The sword to your son and the title to the eldest eligible."

He nodded, "They have to agree to the service to the family. He will not have a mother to give money to him. I have to do it. He will need an account with a pull from the trust to start with but nothing the mother would leave him. I do not know his classes but given the constraints, I could easily guess one of them is Paladin and the other is a sorcerer."

He heard Corellon Larethian in his head, "Like your father putting pieces together."

He looked at her, "I just confirmed it from Corellon Larethian himself. That is what will make him ineligible for the title, not his birth circumstance."

She nodded and smiled. He walked back after grabbing a bottle of goat's milk and saddled up his horse and then fed them both. He looked at the Queen, "Need you to contact house Silvertree and have them drop their teleport and then the palace. I can go straight in for his safety."

She nodded, "Understood."

He smiled, "Thank you again, Your Majesty."

They stepped out and she made the connection on the crystals. He nodded. He hid the child beneath his cloak and teleported into the waiting area.

Serius went inside the home quickly. He closed up the exit and the wall. He walked forward and Brima came to hug him and he held up a hand. He pulled his cloak back and she gasped. He walked back to the falls area. He looked at her after getting the horse food again, "My son."

She looked at Serius, "How?!"

He smiled, "The same way I came about but born in a few hours."

She looked at him wide-eyed with a loud whisper, "How?"

He smiled, "Mithiana Zintar Peace Bringer."

She looked confused. He smiled again, "The Solar."

She looked at the child and put her hand over her mouth, "Name?"

He smiled, "Brizzon, means 'from the heavens' in celestial. I need someone to look after him until I find a wife or two."

She walked out and came back 30 minutes later followed by Zirra and then the others in the household as word had spread. He asked for and got a chair to keep him out in the 'Sun' of the shelter. He felt his heart open for the first time since seeing his mother.

Knowing that they lived on in each other's hearts and they shared an incredible night. His first night. He got everyone together, "His very existence is a secret. He is the future Blade wielder. My chosen list in my will has one name on it and the Gods know this and expected this to happen."

They all smiled and nodded. He let the ladies hold him. "Sunlight is important to him. He could feed off of the energy to a degree but goats' milk will work for now."

They all chuckled. He took Zirra aside, "This child is going to need very specialized gear, Mithril Full plate that is heavily enchanted." He walked back to the armory. "It needs to adjust for size. Change in form as wings sprout out of his back when he gets older. Activate at will." She nodded. He sighed, "Arcane spell failure reduction. Find the stuff that will reduce or work to eliminate it completely. Clerical style shield. He pulled one off of the wall, "This one belonged to the first paladin.

He grabbed the one next to it, "Until he had this one built."

She looked at it and shook her head, "That looks very heavy."

Serius nodded and handed it to her, "He took down a shadow dragon champion that was over 5 millennia old. He ruled the skies at night. Now the shield needs to store in a bracer like this one with the other having the weapon wand function. She nodded, "Why in the bracer?"

He smiled, "Because he will be a sorcerer of celestial blood. Possibly even dragon blood."

She sighed, "Which to work on first?"

He pointed at the armor, "No house insignia. Then necklace, high-end strength, dexterity, and poison immunity."

She looked at him, "Won't the sword give him poison immunity?"

He nodded, "Until then? Also, after he gets the sword and if he becomes a champion. It may work as it did for the last paladin. He will be able to delay poison by touch in others. Unless you can think of something better."

She nodded, "I will pray on that. It will be one of the last items to work on most likely. Rings?"

He went over and picked one up, "Like mine but add proof from petrification on it."

She nodded. "Then the other I like my other to call on armor and alter form. Our paladins would not be restricted in that regard. Then a bow and sword. He will need a sword for when he trains. That should follow the other gear."

She nodded, "I will get the others helping on some of this. They are ready for a challenge or two. Anything about this bow?"

He grabbed the enchanter's book, "Create ammo and this ability."

She sighed, "Your account number this stuff is not going to be cheap, even for us." He nodded, "I will transfer a million over to your account. I have your numbers." She nodded. "True." They walked out and she looked back, "We will need access to the library." He smiled, "You have had it for over a week now."

She looked at him, "How?"

He smiled, "I only locked it until I turned 75."

He walked out and gathered everyone. "Some of you may not realize the library opened up when I turned 75. I want to make it clear. Unless they are a member of house Silvertree, they are not allowed in there and no book may leave there. If you have work to do that is the place. It was designed for several enchanting projects at once. The books on dragon magic and mythic spells are stored.

On nights when I stay here, I will get them and make them available if you are looking for something specific. You can copy select spells out. Nothing from the necromancy section. There is more than enough of that in the world these days. Zirra has a set of books with the standard battle spells some of which did not work out well for a couple of dragons who went diving headfirst into a lava pool."

They chuckled. He looked at Zirra, "You have an extra set of hands with my mother. Until I find a wife or two which should become easier now that they cannot track me as easily. I have a divine non-detection capability now. They figured 3 years of evading and keeping them away from the family was enough. I cannot go on the offensive if they know my every move."

He hugged the ladies and shook hands with younger brothers. He went in back and Brima smiled at the baby and then at him. She nodded as he took the reins to his horse.

He went over and kissed her on the check. He walked out with his horse and secured the path behind him. He set a crystal down and handed the guard his tube, "I call on this crystal and ask for teleportation access. I do not want any delays. Be sure to brief the other guards."

He nodded, "Yes, Duke Silvertree."

He nodded and mounted up, "Go ahead and drop it. Once I am gone be diligent. The mothers still have day-to-day control. If they need me, show them that crystal."

He teleported to the front of the bank and walked inside. He walked up to a teller. He sighed, "I want a million in gold moved from this account into this account."

He handed her his papers and she made the transfer. She gave him his paperwork back.

He went to walk out and he thought, "Alright dear Lady. I have a son and room in my heart for one or two more. I need to find a wife who will love me and my son. I will expect to spend a lot of time alone with the children or another wife."

He heard her sigh, "I am glad you are opening your heart. I know it was not easy. She loves you more than you know."

He smiled and thought, "No. I know. More than she was permitted to express perhaps but I felt it in her arms and her kiss. That expressed so much more and it was not lost upon me. I am keeping my promise to her. Unspoken but a promise nonetheless. To do right by our son like she would our daughter. Including find a wife to help raise him."

He heard her sigh, "Very well, you will find one by Moon Ray and another near Olivana.

A third by..."

He cut her off, "Let me start with two. I do not expect a long lifespan for them or for me."

He heard her sigh, "You will need the third in life."

He sighed, "I have done well by myself and now I need to do what is right for a little boy and another woman. Maybe two. I know Corellon Larethian will have the blade in the boy's hands in the next century if not sooner. The only way to ensure he does not get corrupted.

The young are more idealistic and for lack of a better word, delusional in their own mortality and what they can do. The older they get the more likely they are to question. It is a balancing act of when is it right to put the blade into the child's hands. Trust me as one of those children, I know. I know the path I am on will mean death to those wives who travel with me. Better to have one or two at home and get back when I can."

He heard her sigh, "Ask them their opinion at least."

He smiled, "No clerics."

He heard her groan, "Why not?"

He smiled and thought, "Because to expand this group. The Knights, we would have to be at a party size or a bit larger, to begin with. I am a cleric and more. The more holy symbols the easier we will be tracked down and killed. We have to go off in different directions as two groups and she will die and I could die. I will talk with the two. No promises beyond that."

She went silent. He got to his horse and rode for the main gate as a wood-elf.

He rode quickly through the streets, to and through the gates. He teleported to Olivana's village to the far north. He rode the streets being a wood-elf out of place and went and found her new home. Her nephew's widow was folding laundry. He rode over and asked, "Is Olivana around?"

She looked over at him, "She is in the house."

He nodded and rode forward and dismounted. She watched him as he knocked on the door. Olivana answered the door and looked at him and smiled, "Can I help you?"

He nodded, "Yes you can."

He pulled back so she could see the blade at his side. She backed inside and he followed. He changed back to his normal form and hugged her. She held him tightly, "To what do I owe this surprise?"

He smiled and walked around to see who was here. He pulled a scroll and cast up a shelter in the middle of the home. He stepped inside and she followed. He looked over, "Keep portal open." He walked down to the dining room.

She looked at the design, "Different design."

He nodded, "The Lady of Dreams sent me your way."

She looked white. "Why?"

He walked in back and took off his armor top and shirt. She looked at his chest and gasped. "That was not supposed to happen to you."

He smiled, "Things changed. I saw where your 3 eldest opted away to form this new house."

She nodded, "They did not want to think about the sword falling to them. The others are likely to follow given my nephew's widow's view of things and her voicing opinions on that sword."

He nodded, "It already has an heir selected. You can let your other children know. It is destined for my eldest. My son."

She looked at him, "You got married?"

He shook his head, "No. I have been living on the run for the last 3 years. The Gods finally put a divine non-detection on me. I took this moment to come and see you. I never wanted to bring danger here, so I stayed away."

The door cracked open behind her and it was her nephew's widow. She looked at him and was shocked, "My husband died following your father."

He looked at her, "He died from a dragon's breath weapon with 100 others.

He tried to get all of them to take up teaching. They all refused. My sister was hit by it but managed to teleport into his mouth before her holy symbol went off. He died after being captured and hostiles were 'over'. Or so they believed. By having another blade wielder strike a blow against this symbol and destroying them both." As he tapped his chest.

"Many others who wanted nothing but death for us all. It took three months for that blade to get recovered but it was recovered. Because of this blade. I am a Cleric and a Magus."

She did not seem dissuaded and continued arguing with him, "I want you gone from my home."

Serius smiled, "We are in one of my own design."

He extended a tube to her, "Read it. My life has been being hunted for the last 3 years. You missed that part of the conversation. I became an adult a week ago."

She nodded and took the tube and read through it all. He got them to sit down and gave them the condensed version of events.

He looked at Olivana, "I went from delivering life to terminating one inside my own mother."

She shook her head, "You have been in a storm. Let me ask you. Why did the Lady of Dreams send you to me?"

Serius smiled, "Because she said one of my likely brides is here near you. No name, just near you."

She shook her head, "I do not know who she could have meant."

He nodded, "Neither do I. I know they have to be able to love me, each other, and my son."

She looked at him, "You mentioned that before."

Serius smiled, "Conception to born in 3 hours."

She looked at Serius wide-eyed, "Poor mother?"

Serius shook his head, "No she is several millennia old. Not from this Plane."

She looked at him, "The Solar you mentioned?"

He nodded, "We each have a small piece of each other's hearts but nothing more than a single night was allowed. The sword is destined for our son. He carries celestial blood and dragon blood if I had to guess.

We knew the deal and both agreed to it. The Queen gave me a safe place for a night to spend the evening with her. After I got the new non-detection. The attacks have dropped off. The ability is set to go to the sword. I did not come to give you a hard time or to bring danger to you. I came simply to find a wife and say hello to a mother I have missed. Not tear into a broken heart."

She nodded, "I still want you gone. Sooner rather than later."

He sighed and put his armor on and thought, "They have no clue as to who you mean. Neither do I."

Serius got his armor on. He heard, "I was thinking of her."

Serius shook his head and thought, "No, this sword has wrecked her life and family enough. I will not ask that of her again. If you do not have a serious candidate then just say so. I will go forward alone with my son."

He got dressed and switched forms. Olivana looked at him, "Leaving?"

He nodded, "If you do not know of the right candidate, I will check the other location she gave me. I will not force anyone into this life of chaos."

She grabbed his arm, "What about my nephew's widow?"

He looked at her, "She hates my guts, this sword, my family, and if I had to guess the gods. Not a good match." He heard the lady groan in my head, "What will it take for you to consider her?"

He thought, "All of the other champions off the field and five hundred years of peace. Guaranteed."

Serius heard her sigh, "Your father was stubborn when it came to the ladies."

He thought, "That explains the more hands-off approach to our sex lives. If you lined up a choice like this for him."

Serius looked at her, "You tell me that when you saw me that your thoughts were, 'he is here to take my nephew's widow away.' That was the first thing that popped into your mind? I will tell you the Gods are in your mind."

She sighed, "You are right it was not the first thing on my mind."

He headed outside and got mounted up.

He thought, "Any others here I should consider rejecting?"

He heard nothing and he teleported away to Moon Ray's Home He thought, "Pass to his horse not to call out my sword. Just an elf he knew from Misora."

He heard Varus'Nor, "The Moon Ray Moon Blade approaches."

He saw him and he looked around and apparently got the message. He smiled, "Hello old friend. What brings you to this side of the Kingdom."

He smiled, "Need to talk with you if you have a moment."

He nodded and took him back to his home. He opened a secure shelter inside of his home and they walked in together. Serius looked at him, "Did not know you had one of these."

He nodded, "Nothing as fancy or with the security systems. I use it for meetings like this. What is going on? It is only locked by me so it will not last forever."

He went and grabbed a seat and switched forms. Serius sat there and gave him the rundown of his last few years. He shook his head, "The Lady of Dreams sent you to me to find a wife?"

He nodded, "One of two names, and I already checked the other. That was a major waste of time. The Lady finally told me she wanted me to take in Storm Blade's widow."

He laughed. "She fucking hates the Silvertree family and Moon Blades in general. Blames her husband's death on your father."

He nodded, "I did not even ask her. I stopped short of calling the Lady of Dreams crazy. Just told her it was far from a good match."

He nodded, "She thinks I would know of one?"

He nodded, "Who would love me and my son."

He spent another half an hour bringing him up to speed on his son. He sighed, "I cannot think of anyone."

Serius nodded, "Sorry to have wasted your time."

He watched Serius switch forms again. Serius walked for the door and thought, "That is two misses."

Serius heard her sigh, "Leave it to him to be blind. Ask his wife."

Serius walked out, "Not who you sent me too. Besides I have no idea where his wife is at."

He walked outside and mounted up. He saw her walking up the lane and sighed, "You are pushing."

He rode off and heard her growling at him, "You do not want to marry, do you?"

Serius thought back, "I want a great match. Not someone who is as broken as I am coming in all of this. It is not like you are giving me names you are avoiding that for some reason."

He teleported back to the edge of the city and rode in through the gate. He activated a crystal, "I am knocking."

Serius heard, "Come in."

Serius teleported into the entryway and he shut off the teleporter access. He shifted forms back and opened the portal, "Here is my crystal to the Queen. If she contacts me, tell her I am taking a few days off to work a project. If she needs me for something then I will be there. You got the crystal inside."