Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 07

He smiled, "Shelter seven shield off." A second later. "Shield on" Slamming into them from the other side another 6 times. They backed off "Shelter six shield off. They held them in beam seven. "Shelter six. Evacuate shelter six. Great job, leave the book of scrolls."

He waited for them to be gone. "Shelter 6, shield on, security on, walls up. Shelter 7, shield off, shield on. Shield off, shield on." It slammed into them with the other a few times knocking pieces off.

They backed off more. "Shelter 6, shield on. Shelter 7, shield off. Evacuate shelter 7. Good work." He waited for them to be out. Shelter 7, beam on, security on, walls up." He put the crystal away.

Charlus called Majisa and the Queen, "Your Majesties. I have two Queens here. Are you secure?"

Queen Goldeagle sighed, "Just a moment. I am in open court."

Majisa answered, "Yes. It looks like the talk did not go well."

The Elven Queen finally responded, "Secure. What did you find out?"

He sighed, "The one Storm Giant they sent to talk was a dragon wearing a ring. We repeated the request for over an hour and it was close to 2 hours before I took action. We turned off and on various shields and did as much damage to it until it backed off.

My guess is they are being flown by a storm giant under the control of a dragon. It is one of those kill me and a dragon appears ring. Recommend checking the others but they are likely the same."

Majisa sighed, "Those that can back off some have. What now?"

Charlus thought, "We narrow their window and hold them in specific shields. Get our Dragon champion who helped with the crystal deployments. See if they end. If so, we leave them up and starve them out. The mountains will fall in months."

Majisa chuckled, "Dragons can go to sleep for long periods of time."

He smiled, "In the body of a storm giant? The storm giant has to be there to keep it up, at least two. Those bodies have to eat. Else we got dragons and crashing mountains, right?"

Majisa sighed, "I am not sure. I do not know if the controls would work that way. Not much is known of their method to do that. It could float there forever."

He groaned, "Can you check your magical detection and see if the relic is in that town? I would think that is something you would want off of the field." Charlus pulled up crystals, "Base 1and Base 2, I want scans of those flying mountains for necromancy. Get me counts on each and contact me back."

Both crystals lit up, "Yes Commander."

Majisa finally answered, "We are picking up a relic out there. We are sending a strike team."

He thought, "Make them mounted dragons with caster to aid you. Just a recommendation, Your Majesty."

Charlus heard her chuckle, "A good one as we do not know how many they have. We are sending 16 of them."

Charlus thought, "Have them go in, in groups of four. Set two rally points one for casters and one for dragons. If they need to teleport out. Also, that teleport blocker flying overhead on another might be useful."

She laughed, "Thank you, forgot about that thing until you mentioned it. No sense bouncing all over the world looking for this relic."

He called out, "Your Majesty, Queen Goldeagle, it might be safe to have a couple of squads on standby if they need help with those necromancers."

She sighed, "Talk with your sister about breaking them off."

He smiled, "Would love to Your Majesty, but she destroyed her crystal to me this morning. Had to do with her love life."

He heard them both laughing. He smiled, "I will contact her second in command because I gave him one."

Charlus let those two go dark. Trilia looked at him, "They got you running everywhere."

He nodded. "While trying to remain in the shadows." He rolled his eyes.

He pulled out the back up communication crystal for his sister, "Greetings is my sister nearby?"

He heard laughter, "She tore out of her a while ago. She seemed pretty pissed off."

He sighed, "That mage with her?"

He heard him sigh, "No she is standing here with me. Charlus pulled them together and used the sword to teleport to them. He looked shocked. He put the crystal away, "Show me this giant champion. What happened after you two destroyed my communication crystal?"

She looked at Charlus, "We got in a fight, I destroyed it."

Charlus nodded, "Then you can pay for it, as I built and paid for that communication crystal and they are not standard or cheap!"

She looked shocked. Charlus followed him over to a body and looked at it. He pulled a crystal for the two Queens, "Your Majesties, I need you secure again."

They both responded, "Still secure we are talking on the fourth floor at the moment."

He sighed, "I am at the campsite now. My sister took off from here is her second authorized to get those two squads together in her absence?"

Queen Goldeagle responded, "No, I will contact her."

He sighed, "Something else you should know. The giant I saw on the flying rock looks nothing like the one here at the campsite, your Majesties. If you want, I could cut off its head and bring it back but it would take 12 teams of 12 horses to do that."

Majisa sighed, "I got the dragon champion coming to you."

He let the crystals go dark and a few minutes later his uncle showed. He looked at it and pulled out a crystal, "Your Majesty, they took down a titan. A Formian titan from the looks of it."

Charlus thought, "Gods tell me you are seeing this thing."

Corellon Larethian responded, "It might have been cut off when your father died. We do not know."

He thought, "Should it not have returned to where it came from when it died?"

He heard Corellon Larethian respond, "Yes it should have which makes me believe it is one of the followers of that creature. The fact it was a champion on this plane as well is troubling but your father took care of him. Your inventiveness took care of that. Be glad your troops did not have to face it."

He looked over, "Request permission for us to teleport straight to the fourth floor, Your Majesty." He got next to his uncle as did Trilia. He looked at her and she smiled and held his hand. He thought, "Does his 'holy' symbol align with that creature?"

He heard, "Too much damage to tell. It looks like it exploded from your attack."

Finally, Majisa answered, "Go."

He took the three of them with two horses. He rode straight into the War Room. He took the horses back to the falls.

Charlus walked back up and looked at Queen Goldeagle, "It should have returned to the abyss. The Gods believe it belonged to the creature my father died to punish. Cut off from his 'deity' and stranded here. I would recommend getting a team of dwarves to dig it up.

Get a few researchers from both the Academy and the dragons to take samples and then destroy the fucking thing, your Majesty. It will take every caster they got on the line, casting disintegration for two days, to get rid of that body. If we are lucky, Your Majesty!"

Queen Goldeagle sighed, "Why?"

Charlus looked at her, "They are already making skeletal giants. What would they do with that thing? The dwarves might want to do a metallurgical analysis on the heavy black armor it wore, Your Majesty. As would our scholars. Getting a chance to look at an outer plane's creature and to collect samples from it, it is a scholar's paradise."

Majisa nodded, "His caution is not paranoia. No telling what they would do if they knew it was dead. He is correct that this is a rare opportunity to advance research as these bodies typically disappear on death and do not remain behind."

Charlus looked at Queen Goldeagle, "Any response from my sister, Your Majesty?"

She shook her head, "No."

He thought, "Is my sister alright?"

It was silent for several minutes. Finally, he heard from the Lady of Dreams, "She killed herself."

He thought, "Where did her spirit go?"

He got no answer. He walked outside the shelter, "Commander?"

He responded, "Still no word from her."

He looked at Queen Goldeagle, "That is because she took her own life. Best if you assume command unless the Queen objects?"

The Queen held her hand over her mouth. Then she finally spoke, "Take command."

He thought, "Where is her body?"

A few minutes go by again the Lady of Dreams responded, "We are still trying to figure out what to do about her spirit. Her body is in the woods between the three villages. She hung herself."

He thought, "Her horse there?"

Charlus heard, "Yes still with the saddle."

He sighed and thought, "The choice is yours but I would hope a lifetime of dedication is not wiped out by a couple of mistakes of the heart. I am trying to decide if I need to kill that bitch."

Charlus looked at the crystal, "Commander where is that mage located?"

He responded back, "She is lying on the ground in tears."

Charlus growled out, "Get her teleported to the crossroads. NOW, on horseback!"

He went to the back and got his horse as did Trilia He walked them out of the shelter. Charlus looked at the Queen, "I need to get to Quatarsia to get her body. Could I have the shields please?"

She nodded and had them lowered. Charlus teleported them to the crossroads and the girl on her horse, "Follow."

They rode and she rode 2 horse lengths behind. Charlus thought, "Shi'Onar, have her horse get there first. She deserves to see it first."

Her horse sped up and they sped up. She tried to slow the horse down but it did not respond. She broke down crying when she saw the body. He fired a scorching ray and dropped her body into his arms. He took the body and put it over her horse as he threw the rope away. Charlus got them all grouped together and teleported them to the main gate. He glared and pointed, "Ride."

She went into the city and they followed. "We are knocking."

He got the response, "Door is open. He teleported them into the entryway and the guard backed up. He opened the home after turning off the teleport access. He growled at her, "Get inside NOW!" She rode inside. He pulled two horses in and Trilia came in. He sealed up the door.

He looked at her as she dismounted, "NAME?!"

She cringed, "Prima Silver Harp."

He pointed, "You are going to tell her mother why she is dead. You knew she was a Paladin. Right now, I am trying to figure out if you are an enemy to the Gods themselves."

She cried her eyes out and Trilia was down and held his arm.

The girl walked forward. Kora came out of her room and looked down and screamed, "NNNOOO!"

That got everyone's attention. The girl cried harder and fell to her knees. He thought, "Is she an enemy of the gods?"

He heard immediately from the Lady of Dreams, "No."

He thought, "What became of my sister's spirit?"

He heard her sigh, "I forgave her. She wants no harm to come to her. She had not thought about what you might do to her. She wants her to live and find love."

He waited for the mothers to calm down and stop asking him what happened. He looked at Prima, "Tell them. She died of a broken heart, didn't she?"

She knelt there and nodded her head. "You started things with her?"

She nodded. "Then you refused her offer of marriage because she was foolish enough to love you?"

The girl cried and nodded. "Secure wall. Secure portal to only me."

He took the horses out back and brushed his horse down. He removed the saddle and reigns and brushed down his sister's horse.

Charlus looked at her horse, "You follow this foolish girl's horse. She will get you back to the herd. This was not your fault."

He walked out with the horse following. Kora was in her son's arms crying. He leaned in and whispered, "The Lady of Dreams said she forgave her."

Kora looked up and hugged him. She whispered, "Thank you for finding out for me. Thank you for bringing her home. I thought when she died, she would have been blown into nothing."

He nodded, "If we had not destroyed most of the staging camp she would have. There were two champions. An orog Magi and a giant she found in the rubble. Likely a champion to the one that was responsible for my father's death."

She looked at Charlus wide-eyed. "He was not a giant but a titan."

He thought back to the Lady of Dreams, "I want to see her tonight!"

The lady sighed, "If it helps to keep you from killing her by all means. I can feel the rage in your mind!"

Charlus thought, "I want you to bind her to the secret when I tell her who I am and who my sister was."

He heard her sigh, "I can do that for all in the room The dragons know already because of what I had you do yesterday."

He released control over his eyes and walked out to the mothers. They talked with her. He looked at Prima, "When you leave here, I am taking you to see the Grand Cleric for the Lady of Dreams. You can ask for forgiveness on your part of her death.

She was not the Champion of Corellon Larethian, I am. She was the champion of Vandria Gilmadrith. Something she could not confess to you in life unless you agreed to marry her. She was to provide me with cover to see my mission succeed while being the general on the field.

You will never be able to discuss it with anyone. My sisters' spirit was forgiven by the Lady of Dreams. My sister wants you to live and love. I asked the question if you were the enemy of the gods. I was told no. That does not mean you should not ask for their forgiveness.

When you are done with the Grand Cleric you will take her horse and lead it back to the herd. Then get on with your life, know she forgives you and the Gods do not consider you an enemy. I am to see her tonight.

If the Gods had not forgiven her you would be lying next to her by my hand. That could still happen, so best to do exactly what I say right now and not give me a reason to kill you.

Once her funeral is done work to get released from the army and find an adventuring group. The less chance I have of running into you the better chances of you living a longer life. Once we part ways, I never want to see you again. I would likely try and succeed in killing you."

He looked at the mothers, "I will be out destroying practice dummies. Let me know when I should take this bitch to the Grand Cleric. Security lockdown for twenty-four hours or until I release it! The other thing I get with the Blade is control of locking down this home from anyone and everyone."

He walked away from her and went to the training wing. He positioned the training dummies where he wanted them. Trilia walked through the portal. He drew both blades, "Moon Fire on." He did a no-handed cartwheel, took the head of the first one, and stabbed the second one so hard the body split.

He spun to the right and did a dual weapon strike and sent the upper torso and stomach to the ground in separate pieces. He spun to the left and got the four lined up in the semicircle. He went in at the neck on the first one and left at the hip on the last one as the blades cut across those four training dummies.

Charlus spun back and sliced through the pieces of the ones standing. He turned to see Trilia just staring at him and his dragon eyes. Charlus got on one hand and spun his main blade around and took all of the training dummies except for the first off at the knees.

He flipped back, backflipped, and spun. He drove both blades through the first training dummy near the severed neck and down through the crotch. He spun his blades and sheathed them.

He looked at Trilia, "Now I have to wait an hour for them all to repair."

She looked at Charlus, "That girl is hurting."

Charlus nodded, "Her brothers, mothers, sisters, grandmother, hell all of us are hurting. My question is, why is she hurting if she did not love her?! She took it too far and corrupted a paladin! One that was a champion to the Gods!

Tell me why I should forgive her?! Do not say to make my sister happy. She is not happy, she is dead because she was unhappy, heartbroken, and in love with that selfish bitch!"

She looked at Charlus, "When will your eyes go back to normal?"

Charlus looked at Trilia, "You ignored my questions."

Trilia looked at Charlus, "Forgive her or don't. I am not asking you to forgive her. She is scared to death of you."

Charlus nodded, "They will go back to normal if I focus on it. Great passion, battle, and rage bring them out unless I focus on them. I am not giving her a reason to stop being scared of me. People have known for 1,000 years a paladin cannot have sex outside of marriage!"

She nodded, "Including your sister."

Charlus looked at her and yelled, "I gave her a hard time about it when it came to light! You heard what I said about 'her part' in my sister's death! Not that she killed her, my sister made that bad choice!

All because she was stupid enough to love THAT selfish bitch! I find her on the same level as a guy who fucks a woman, gets her pregnant, refuses to marry her, or acknowledge the child!"

He saw Gia, "She is ready to go."

He sighed and brought his eyes under control. "Mother, I have one more question for her before we leave here."

He went out followed by two ladies. He looked at Trilia, "We are going back tonight."

She sighed and nodded. They walked back to the table, "Deer stew." Charlus stood by the door and ate instead of sitting at the same table as this girl.

He finished and saddled up his horse and rode out to her, "I have one more question for you. Did you ask her to just stop being a paladin?"

She looked down and nodded. He sighed, "You ready to give up magic? Think about how you would have felt if she asked that of you. Be glad I don't ask that of the gods! To strip you of being a caster. That would be your way of dealing with a problem you did not like. Not mine. Release security lock on wall and wall down."

Charlus rode out followed by the ladies and the extra horse. "Wall up portal closed." He nodded to the guard who undid the lockout. Charlus took them to within feet of the door to the church.

He got down and waved her along. She dismounted. He looked at her, "The faster you walk the sooner you are rid of me."

She sped up some and they got down to the end. He looked at the Grand Cleric, "My sister the Knight Paladin is dead. To tell you the course of events that led to this fact is this selfish bitch."

He walked away and heard her crying again as he left the church. He moved off, "Best speed." They flew through the market district dodging passers-by.

He went out of the main gate a few minutes later and Trilia arrived almost 10 minutes later. She looked at Charlus, "You almost ran down an old lady!"

He pulled a Crystal, "I am knocking."

Charlus looked at her, "If I did not get far away from her, she would have looked like the training dummies."

He heard, "The door is open. He took them into base 2. He looked at the man, "Any movement?" He shook his head. He set a crystal down and pointed, "Write this down. 'Activate all, all walls up, all security up.'

If they attack a shelter then just repeat that every minute. As the shelter systems repair, they will come back online. Some are unmanned now and it is very important."

He nodded, "Yes commander."

He rode into his home here and went back to the falls and unsaddled the horse and brushed him down again. He looked at her. "If I had said to you, I will only love you if you stop being a psionic practitioner tell me that would not have been a knife in the heart."

She sighed and nodded, "I see your point but the old lady had nothing to do with that."

He sighed and nodded, "I see your point."

She hugged him and squeezed him. He sighed, "I am ready to sleep. You?"

She nodded, "This has been a bad day."