Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 06

He went inside and closed the portal. He opened the wall and reset the security. He opened the area to the back and brushed down his horse.

He went back out and saw Zirra carrying his son downstairs. She smiled, "Back?"

Serius nodded, "The Lady of Dreams sent me off to see two women with no names. One of whom was Storm Blade's widow. She hates this family, my guts, my father, and blames us for the death of her husband. I even think she hates the gods!

The other location was at Moon Ray and I spoke with him and he knew nobody. She then wanted me to talk to his wife. I am not playing those kinds of games. I need to lay down to see how bad she wants to give me a hard time."

She chuckled, "Be respectful."

He nodded, "I know but they were supposed to take a less of a hands-on approach with our wives and she sends me to see two either venomous or nameless candidates."

He got to his room, updated his journal for the last few days, including the wife hunting fiasco of this day, and got undressed. He laid down on the bunk and went to sleep dejected. He found himself at the falls and he jumped into the water and sat on the bottom. He sat there and breathed in the water and finally surfaced.

Serius looked over to see Corellon Larethian and bowed to him, "I would take a knee in the water but it might seem like I was avoiding you."

He chuckled, "You are the first champion to do that. See if you could breathe underwater here."

He shrugged and climbed out and took a knee. "I apologize if I offended the Lady of Dreams but I did not see any viable choice in either location. I went to who she sent me too. None of them saw any obvious choice and one was horrendous.

When she told me who, I was trying not to scream at her. I have spent 3 years fighting to stay alive. I still doubt I will live to see 80. Marrying a woman who would like to walk across my entrails as opposed to look at me. Who's first statement was, 'leave my home!' That was not going to work without a lot of weeks or years of courtship and a mental evaluation for both of us given what I am being asked to do. As well as her perception of my family, these blades, and the gods."

He nodded, "What are you looking for?"

He smiled, "One wife. One who may already have a child from a previous relationship. Unmarried or widowed makes no difference so long as the Silvertree family had nothing to do with the death.

One who can handle my sexual needs all on her own. Like this Eagle-eye that Eldar had talked about way back when. One who is happy being at home raising kids and an enchanter would be a big bonus. If I need to wait another 10-20 years let me know.

I have to go in search of humans for this new group at some point. One of them might become my wife, given how short my life is likely to be. It will be that much shorter if I keep pissing off the Lady of Dreams."

He sighed, "At least you did not say a 9-foot-tall Solar."

Serius smiled, "I knew the deal with that and do not regret it. While I have you here, or more accurately while you have me here. What did you think of the gear for my child?"

He sighed, "I am still working on finalizing the new rules for gestalts. The arcane failure will not be an issue when he has an amulet. It will not have poison immunity.

There is a draconic mythic that could be enchanted into the amulet. It will take her time but she can do it. It would get enhanced when bound. Yes, he will become a champion at some point. Your statement to my wife and I about how long you will live is troubling.

Especially for her as she had those arguments in the past and she wants a champion to live a fuller life. We want you to live a long time but your thoughts on corruption are valid as well. One of the reasons we did what we did with Moon Blades. Getting them into the hands of those who have not been corrupted.

In short, your future is open to possibilities. Especially given your ability to avoid capture. Keep the shield for last, in fact, it is already built and one of a kind. The amulet would not cover it and there is nothing to stack with the abilities of the amulet to help with the shield. He will choose to use it and when. Summoning the shield and storing it to recall it might be something she wishes to look into. The child is left-handed primarily like you.

See the Queen at some point, get the first Knight Paladins Heraldry set for your son. It is on the shield. The border just has to be redone to take it back to sapphire blue. We need to get back on topic for wives. You know why humans are out of the question for the title. Elf-blooded there are one or two who would meet your ideas.

No children but being elf-blooded their options are still limited even a millennium later. They know each other but are not related and live in a village further north in the Kingdom.

Brialavia. An hour north of Moon Ray's home. At normal speed. If you go tomorrow you would find them easily enough. They would both be like Olivana, with no magical talent and built for children. These would be my choices for you, I agree that Storm Blade's widow would have been an extremely difficult woman to convince. Time for you to wake."

---

The Lady of Dreams sighed as she looked at him, "I could have convinced her to do it."

Corellon Larethian shook his head, "No, he is right. She follows Solonor and neither of us. She is angry with both of us and with this unknown threat to the champion you could not guarantee her any length of time with him. He would visit home once a year if that given the plans he is making.

He wanted a pair of female lovers who would keep each other entertained while he is off working. If he found another in the field it would likely be a human because of what his father wanted him to work upon. He does not have the best skills for that, languages and diplomacy certainly, the ability to heal himself of course. But he is not like Jarron or Eldar.

He is more passive than any of them because he had to hide it for so long and stay unassuming. His overprotective mothers and Queen did not help the situation any. He prefers to heal than to harm. The reason his father selected him was he figured he would find it easier to stay alive.

He saw him as more like Jarron, but Jarron was not a field agent but a diplomatic spy before heading up the Knights. A fighter Mage, who got a necklace from the dragons to offset the spell failure associated with heavy armor. He inherited an already active group, he did not start the group and there are skills that Serius lacks in that regard.

He has saved many and will likely save many more. Yet he is not the offensive powerhouse of the Knight Paladin or Eldar. He is not the strategist of previous champions, especially Jazzia who took years of work and focused it into a single battle and survived it until she had to make a choice with that damned Draco-lich.

His son would work well in the future. This threat troubles me as well. We have been unable to isolate it. My choices are better for what this champion is looking for, just accept that for once."

The Lady of Dreams sighed and nodded, "Very well, as long as he gets married. Else you might be forced to jump branches sooner rather than later. As you want the title on the same branch at the very least. His new son is impressive, but I do not see him being low-key enough to do the Knights work. "

---

Serius awoke, prayed, and prepared spells for the day. He decided to go with a moon-elf appearance that was not his own. He made it look like he wore common clothes. He went to the dining area and ate a few pieces of fruit and then saddled up his horse.

He went through the security wall and portal; closing as he went. He grabbed the crystal for the Queen. He nodded to the guard who dropped the shield and teleported to the main gate. He teleported out toward Moon Ray's home and turned north and away from it.

He decided to not rush today. He took the hour to ride in as it was early. He did not want to ride past wherever these one or two might be. The road curved west and he saw the edge of this village that was slightly larger than a village by the standard definition.

He could hear the banging of metal from a small smith doing repair work on a wagon, or they could have been building them for the city. A small inn that doubled as a bar appeared to be the center of this place's existence further down the road where it forked.

Not many people were out at this hour except for those two locations. He stopped at the blacksmith as they had a small stable. He rode over to the war-scarred moon-elf who banged away loudly. Serius looked over and the smith saw Serius and sighed, "Do you need something?"

Serius nodded, "Food and water for my horse. I have been traveling for days around the kingdom. Running low on some supplies. Do you have a store or farmers who sell their wares?

The man sighed, "You do not look like you got two gold pieces to rub together. Why not sell that fine animal to someone who can take care of it?"

Serius smiled. "We have taken care of each other just fine. You fight in the war?"

He groaned, "If you call that it. Dragons appearing and exploding in the skies. Melting men in front of us getting hacked by orcs or smashed by giants. It did not last long though. Thanks to that field Marshal the Queen found. Smart one he was.

I was told he planned all of the defenses. We needed to be on the offensive. Those do-nothing paladins of ours did not even show for the battle. That is a waste of training if you ask me. Of course, they were short on healers after the churches got destroyed in the Capital. They pulled some out of retirement, but you need more than one for a hundred men."

Serius nodded, "I was too young for that then. Are you building or repairing those wagons?"

He chuckled, "Some are older than you I bet. Hell, a couple of them are older than me. I find them here or there is a state of disrepair and I do the metalwork to get them fixed up and back into service."

Serius smiled, "Like a cleric for wagons."

He chuckled at that. He looked at Serius, "A gold piece for feeding and watering your horse. You can get food for yourself at the village inn. Kora is a good enough cook for what she is."

Serius looked over, "For what she is?"

He nodded. his head, "Elf-blooded. Her father brought her here after the girl's mother died. The mother was human. The way he puts it at times he does not believe the girl is his and he wants to take her into his bed. A course that only started recently. After she and Gina were seen making out at the local stream by some hunters."

Serius shook his head. "Who is this Gina?"

He shook his head and huffed, "My mutt of a granddaughter. My daughter was good looking and liked to fuck around. She came back here pregnant with her and she died a couple years ago giving birth to another bastard who was born dead. No healer in this town.

We had a couple but they died in the war. Gina's mother would spread her legs for coin for half the townsmen. It did not make her very popular with the ladies in this town. Well, some she was popular with and you can guess why."

Serius nodded, "A lot of women here then?"

He nodded, "A few. There are a couple I would be interested in but they see this scared body and the bad limp and they want nothing to do with that."

Serius sighed, "Never thought about going to the Capital to get those wounds and scars fixed?"

He shook his head, "Lots of corrupt nobles is that town. Only a handful worth a damn."

Serius nodded, "Like that Field Marshal. He was a noble right?"

The guy nodded, "Yes. Smart man but from what I hear he died shortly after the war in an ambush. Some of the money he gave helped to equip soldiers and others like me got a small amount because of injuries. I used it to start this business.

Taking care of my mutt granddaughter is a burden. It is only a matter of time and she will be spreading her legs like her mother. More mouths to feed. Too many fine elven women here to get her married off. She is damaged goods."

Serius shook his head, "I would like to meet her."

He chuckled, "Think she spread her legs for you?"

Serius smiled, "If she did, I would probably take her into my heart and home first. I have to have some standards."

He nodded, "So you're traveling to look for a wife?"

Serius smiled, "Or two."

He laughed, "That takes money boy to support a family."

Serius nodded. "I have a home. I am just not home a lot, especially these last few years. Hoping that might change if I find a woman or two to help provide me some balance in life. I live modestly but I have some money.

Besides, it could be potentially one less mouth you have to worry about feeding. If we like each other well enough. I might be able to help improve your odds with the two ladies you are interested in."

He waved Serius back toward his home as he laughed at that comment. He yelled inside, "Gina! Get your fat ass out here."

She came out with a bruise on her face and another on her arm about the size of a fist. Serius shook his head, "You are wanting to get her married off she should not be so injured."

He grunted, "She gets sassy with me. Like her whore of a mother."

Serius extended a hand to her and she shook it. He looked at her, "Are the stories he told me about you and this woman Kora true?"

She shrugged, "I do not know what stories he has told you."

Serius smiled, "Nothing graphic just that you were spending quality time with Kora."

She looked down at that direct question. He got between her and her grandfather and lifted her chin. He let her see his real eyes. "I only ask because I want to see the truth of the situation. Does your heart belong to this Kora?"

She looked a little shocked. He smiled and reverted his eyes back to what her father saw. She nodded, "I love her, we are alike. Nobody wants us. Especially here. Unless it is for a quick fuck and we don't want to do that."

Serius cast a cure light spell into and healed up her bruises.

She looked at him wide-eyed. He smiled, "Honesty should be rewarded. That is what you should look like. I am going to this inn to eat. Would you care to join me?"

She nodded and smiled, "I would like that."

The grandfather looked at him, "You some kind of healer?"

Serius nodded. "Something like that. I do not charge for what I do. I could get rid of those scars if it would improve your disposition in life."

He looked at Serius, "You are serious?"

Serius nodded, "You stop feeling like damaged goods you might realize she is not damaged goods. Different yes. Not a standard elf of course. But still an elf-blooded and beautiful woman."

He chuckled, "You see more in her than I do."

Serius sighed, "That was not my question. Would you like to feel whole again? To no longer feel like damaged goods yourself?"

He was taken back by Serius's statement. He looked at Serius, "You can fix me?"

Serius smiled, "I fix the physical aspects. Your outlook on life you will have to work to fix. I help by fixing the first part and you work on the second part. That includes never striking a woman in your care."

He sighed, "Come inside."

Serius walked in with him. The older elf looked at his granddaughter, "Wait out here."

Serius walked in with him and the older elf went to a room and stripped down. Serius could see the extent of his scars.

He also saw part of his own genitals gone from it. Serius nodded his understanding. He looked at him, "I can fix you."

He nodded, "What do you need?"

He pulled a boot dagger, "This will be painful."

He nodded, "I know how it goes."

Serius sat in a chair. He took the dagger and looked at him, "First I am going to cut this off." Serius held him by what remains of his balls and cock. "Then I am going to have it regenerate. While that is going on, I will remove the scars in sections.

Until you cannot take anymore and then heal those wounds and continue. It will take a few days for your manhood to come fully back but it will be back. It should function as before the injury. Meaning if you could not get it up before the injury that would remain the case. Fertility is another matter as this would not fix infertility."

He nodded, "It worked just fine before the attack."

Serius looked at him. "Ready for me to begin?"

He nodded. Serius held all of it in his hands.

Serius held the dagger up high to distract him as he put a scorching ray between his fingertips and came up. HE screamed out and looked at his cock laying on the floor burning. He cast a regeneration into him and it started to regrow. He used some of the lay-on-hand from the sword on him to keep him alive from the shock. He started carving off large sections of scarred skin. Casting healing into him as he went. Two hours later and he had all of the scars off of him.

The bed was covered in his blood and a pile of scarred skin. He found a mirror and let him look at himself. "I noticed the limp in the leg while you walked. I worked on removing the scar tissue from around those tendons and muscles and healed those up."

He stood up and ran his hand over his skin. He started to cry. Serius looked at him, "When you find someone you can truly love with the right heart, treat her right. Remember this scene around you.

Remember that it was not her that was damaged but you. You just transferred it to her because you could not bang on yourself anymore. Now the only thing you should beat on is metal to fix wagons...like I just fixed you."

He looked at Serius, "I never got your name?"

Serius nodded, "You will before I leave town. I need to go and eat and you need to wash up and dress. I recommend getting rid of this yourself so you know those scars and that part of your life is behind you."

Serius stood up and used the cleaning cantrip on himself. He turned to see Gina looking at what he did for her grandfather. She was white as a ghost. He took her out of the house. She whispered to him, "What are you?"

He smiled, "Many things to many people. I will explain more while we eat."

She nodded, "You are a gifted healer but some of that looked arcane."

He smiled, "You are observant. Have your lover join us if she can."

She nodded, "Her father is a bit of a slave driver but she does have to eat."

They walked into the inn and he found a table with his back to the door. The girls came out with food. One a black hair raven with green eyes and the new one had pale blue eyes and blonde hair. They both were buxom like a human, they had curves to them but they were not fat. They were both close to perfection. They sat down.

He smiled, "You are both beautiful ladies."

He let his eyes be revealed again, "I can see the truth in things. There is an elf near the door. Is he local?"

They shook their head, "They came in a few days ago. They appear to be waiting for something."

He nodded. "Who is 'they?'"

She sighed, "He has two friends in a room upstairs and there is always one down here."

He sat and ate with the ladies, "My life is complex. I travel a lot but I have a home. What I am in need of is loving wives and mothers to help grow my family."

Kora looked at him, "Why us?"

He smiled, "Do you know much elven history?'

She shook her head. He smiled, "A long time ago an elven blade singer who was an impure bastard but quick in mind and body left the Capital with a small convoy. He was immediately attracted to the half-elven or elf-blooded woman. Elf-blooded was not used back then."

She nodded, "I have heard both terms."

He nodded, "He fell for her and her for him. She had a secret. A female lover that was her own twin sister. He met her and because the woman he loved wanted it he made love to this woman who had never made love to a man. She had been raped and damaged by one.