Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 08

Charlus walked out and activated the crystal, "Majisa I forgot about my manacles."

Majisa chuckled, "One of the casters tried to dispel it for a moment and when it crushed the wrists sent the one prisoner into shock.

He fell over dead after his hand popped off in a bloody mess. I have all the sets. After they were executed, they cut off the hands. The guard commented. 'This guy is serious about nobody getting those manacles off but him.' It was gross but it proved your point that the auto-adjust was the first thing to be temporarily stopped."

Charlus nodded, "Before we went up, I should have had you switch them."

She sighed, "They were going to die anyway. They were out of the Far East. They should launch in 4 months. We are monitoring."

Charlus pulled out a crystal, "While crane how is the weather."

He replied, "Fishing is better. They force all of the fishing vessels out of the harbor. They look like they could start moving them out any day. At least what is built. Around 1,200."

Charlus nodded, "Contact me anytime when you get sunny sky."

He laughed, "Always clouds on the horizon."

Charlus let the crystal go dark. He looked at the other, "My asset monitoring the area."

Charlus heard Majisa sigh, "I am sending up the dragons to deploy the other twenty-four in the morning. Regardless if they get them all in place the old system crystals are going offline. I got them tripling their effort on the first and now second alternate site."

Charlus thought for a second, "Don't. I got an alternate site in mind. It is in the elven capital. About 2 miles below it actually."

Charlus heard Majisa sigh, "Are you going to set up the alternate site in that? There would be little air."

Charlus nodded, "New secure shelter design repeaters going out my teleportation blocking crystal with communication crystals built into them. We set up two side by side and space is smaller. No scrying always on teleport access my communication only. No structures."

She sighed, "It is an idea as you will see them if they try to tunnel toward you."

Charlus nodded, "I will move out of Base 1 and get them set up with our dragon representatives. Until you get the alternate site in place."

She sighed, "Well you will not have an issue getting to the palace quickly."

The crystal went dead Charlus contacted the Queen, "You secure, your Majesty."

She responded. "Just finished the evening meal. Just my husband and my hand-maiden."

Charlus thought for a second, "Base 2 is compromised. They know how it occurred, and will work to fix it tomorrow. I will be taking it offline. When I do, I will need teleportation dropped in the Capital and Palace district."

He heard her sigh, "We talked about not having it here."

Charlus nodded, "I am not looking at having it here. But well below the city in a cavern. At least until they get the alternate site fixed. I gave her what she needed to fix the problem that allowed them to track them. My Brother the Duke is talking with the shadow account holders. I have given all of them 3 days. One of them is the Duke himself."

Charlus heard the Queen groan, "Alright. Thank you for the update and keep me informed."

Charlus walked back inside and went to the portal to screaming women. Charlus walked in and she was in labor. Charlus looked at her, "Who is going after the clerics?"

Moyra looked at me, "Not much time."

Charlus grabbed his sword and left the house. He nodded to the guard, "Keep it open until I get back!"

Charlus teleported to the Lady's church. He walked up to four clerics talking. "You deal with multiple child pregnancies?" One of them looked at him standing there in just pants with a sword in hand, "I have done a few but I have to get permission to go."

Charlus walked over to her, "Granted."

Charlus teleported all four clerics and looked at the guard, "Seal it." He opened the portal and pointed, "She is in there. They sighed and walked inside, "Close portal and deactivate wall.

He walked over to the other portal and took them to the room and they saw all the mothers, "She is carrying four!"

The one cleric rushed forward and the other 3 observed and handed her things. The ladies kept working for what felt like hours.

Charlus thought, "Lady of Dreams, now is the time. I hope you are guiding them."

Charlus heard her sigh, "Grabbing all four was smart, it improves their chances. You have done what you can. Let them do what they are trained to do."

Charlus sat there for another hour until Moyra came out to find him. She looked at him, "She is alright, you have two sons and a daughter. The fourth did not make it. They said she has been dead for days. Her fertility is gone."

Charlus looked at her, "Did she decide on names? Get it to one cleric in the room. Have the other three clerics step out to the main part of the house. When it is safe."

Charlus thought, "Is that it three children to carry on my family line."

Charlus heard her sigh, "I know you are crushed by this."

Charlus thought, "It will be years if ever for me to marry a fertile woman."

Charlus heard her groan, "Do not make decisions while you are mad."

Charlus thought back, "As far as I know you did it, giving her 4 in your anger with me. Tell me why I should be any different?"

The Lady of Dreams did not respond.

Charlus walked into the room and walked to the dresser where the body of his daughter laid. He sighed, "You will not be the only child I will lose."

Charlus looked at Trilia, "You want me to name them?"

She nodded, "You know your family the best."

Charlus nodded, "To my dead daughter Sehanine Silvertree. In honor of the Lady of Dreams promise to watch over you and my children. The die was cast and she wanted her back before I even had a chance to hold her. To my other daughter Brannia in honor of Brannar Silvertree who was born with his twin dying, due to a lich attacking Eldar and his wife Astra."

Charlus looked at the cleric, "The children's classes. They will all be gestalts. I want the right name to go with the right child. The cleric looked at him, "The Lady is barring divination on the children."

Charlus thought, "Please lift this restriction on her. I have two sons to name and I need to know what name will go with what child. The name will vary depending on their class combination."

Charlus picked up one of my sons. She responded, "What do you want to know?"

Charlus thought, "Answers as to why you are blocking divination on the children. Do some of them not have classes because they will not live long enough to develop powers?"

Charlus heard nothing back. Finally, he asked her, "Are either of them psionic of some type and which one."

She groaned, "Yes, the one you are holding."

He sighed, "Johnirus, named after a great uncle who worked for the kingdom."

Charlus looked at the last one, "Who is oldest?'

The cleric points at the bassinet he had yet to visit. He looked at him, "Corelar, After Corellon Larethian. The God who has asked the most of this family in service to the Kingdom. We continue that today. One day I hope he will make himself a fine, strong, and noble elf. I hope they all have great destinies that will give them a full measure of life."

Charlus looked at the cleric, "If you are done, I will take the four of you back. I am Knight Commander Charlus Silvertree, I am a battlemage in the Diplomatic Service. If you are upset by the sudden abduction you are free to file a complaint with the Queen. My sister was the Champion and a paladin of your Church."

She nodded, "I figured it out after you said Silvertree. It was an emergency for a complex birth."

Charlus nodded and walked them out teleported them back and then teleported home. He walked into the room and Sehanine Silvertree's body went with the clerics. He curled up with his wife, "Now you can tell me how you are feeling."

She chuckled, "Happy to be alive, crushed as part of my heart has broken from the loss of a child in birth. Worried for you as I know you blame the Lady of Dreams for what has happened."

Charlus looked at her, "She said you would be an excellent wife for me and then this happens. I need you to be an excellent mother. I know Johnirus will have psionic abilities. The neutral dragons have already expressed an interest in training him."

She looked at Charlus, "When did you see them?"

Charlus sighed, "Earlier today when I brought in three dragon prisoners who were working to destroy our base. That is how we figured out the chromatics were tapping into the network and tracked our workstations.

The older part of the network. It comes down tomorrow. They will finally deploy what would have been the third set of diamonds; it will be the second set. All of which I enchanted. I did the diamonds and the encrypted network.

Majisa called it her system and I reminded her that I upgraded the hell out of her system. That it was our system. She just had the controls to it. She acknowledged that. But you change subjects. Did you want more children or are you happy not content but happy with just 3?"

She sighed, "I cannot change it."

Charlus looked at her, "I need to know if you're upset by it, disappointed or relieved given the complications you have had?"

She looked at Charlus, "You cannot fix it."

Charlus looked at her, "IF I could, would you want me to make it happen? The Goddess has fixed the fertility of Annette a guy nicknamed Fireball, and then there was 'Eagle Eye' the sex monster.

She restored her fertility for 200 years. It has been done before. The question is, do you want me to pursue it? The one thing we have to have is an open and honest relationship. Be honest with me is what I am asking."

She looked at Charlus, "I love children but the thought of dying in pregnancy and what you can deliver scares me that it would happen again but I would not survive to be able to raise them."

Charlus nodded. "I will work to bring the human I have told you about home, in a few days. Let her spend the day with you. She is infertile as well. I told the goddess I would avoid fertile women; at least for several years. Probably forever. If I am going to kill them by having children with fertile women, I will be hard-pressed to take any more into my bed."

Charlus curled up with her and fell asleep. As expected, he was at Silent Falls and he just took a knee and hung his head not knowing which one to expect. Corellon Larethian sighed, "Rise champion."

He stayed put for a moment. "Why would she say she would watch over them yet she knew one of them was dead? Why block divination on them for their classes? Why let the neutral go through my fucking mind? What did she expect me to learn? I never know how much of this is her doing or your will."

He sighed, "She could do nothing for the one when she made her promise to you. She knew your wife was in trouble and did watch over her."

Charlus simply sat down. Corellon Larethian looked at Charlus, "Divination is her domain. Blocking it is her call. I was not happy with her letting the neutral dragons go through your mind. She expected you to learn what you did. I did block out certain things, like your enchanting efforts and contingencies that were requested from you and that you incorporate. The encrypted parts he detected that you could easily get past. The existence of the books you were worried about being another, they had no reason to know that for now. Bahamut was not happy about that either."

Charlus looked at Corellon Larethian, "Should I begin asking her if this is your will or hers anytime I talk with her? She said just do it because she is the messenger."

Corellon Larethian shook his head, "No, just follow through."

Charlus looked at him, "She asks me to go out and marry certain fertile women is that what I am supposed to do?"

He sighed, "I want you to have more children. I understand your concerns and I will not say they are not valid. I will tell you not to follow her guidance if she gives that directive to you.

Trilia is alright with her fertility issue as the experience has scarred her for life on childbirth. Happy she survived and probably happy that it was one of the daughters who died so she never has to go through the pain she is feeling."

Charlus shook his head, "I took the pain I was feeling and named my daughters based off of my rage at the situation and thinking of what Eldar went through because he lost wives from childbirth and a son at the same time."

He sighed, "I understand the daughter you named after Brannar. The one you named after my wife hit her hard. She felt your pain, anger, and blame on her. She is thinking right now about how to fix that rift that exists between you."

Charlus looked at him, "Your thoughts on Black Eagle?"

He sighed, "She is an infertile human so I am not a fan of her."

Charlus looked at him. "If she was fertile?"

He chuckled and sat beside Charlus, "She will not fix the fertility on a human."

Charlus looked at him, "She would not do it just to keep me making children? Not even as a deterrent to pursuing her?"

He chuckled, "No."

Charlus told him, "All the more reason to pursue her. If she had been an infertile elf you would have been a fan?"

He looked at Charlus, "I want you to have fertile wives. I know you are going to say you tried that and she put you through the hells. That is the way you feel anyway."

Charlus hung his head, "I do not pick up a second it will disappoint us all. If I pursue Black Eagle, I disappoint you. I pick up another fertile wife right now. I am afraid of what she will take from me or them. The wife, the children, or both...yet again.

Everyone would be happy with that prospect, picking up a fertile second wife, except me. Not knowing they would become a pawn to be used and potentially killed by the Lady by being in my bed. This is what it all comes down to. Who will I disappoint?"

He looked at Charlus, "I said I was not a fan of her. Not that you would disappoint me if you did."

Charlus looked at him, "Down the road what are your thoughts on this other champion?"

He looked at Charlus, "IF that came about there is no telling if she would live long enough to deliver any children and both Gods would want any and all children to follow them."

Charlus chuckled, "Sorry, I find it funny that the two gods of two races would have a fight over elf-blooded children. When in society, even today, elf-blooded children are shunned by one or both families. Have you talked with this Goddess about the girl?"

He looked at Charlus, "That is how I know the possible outcome. Yes, she is a champion. She was one of many candidates but with you having saved her and getting her into the Academy she is the best candidate she has.

Telling the Academy to not try and slow the progression she appreciated. She also likes that you are looking to get her an amulet, Zirra has gotten guidance with my blessing in this matter. We need strong allies among the gods."

Charlus nodded, "I will do more than that. I will ensure she is armed for battle. If she wants the children to follow her then she would have to be willing to let the mother live long enough to have influence in the children's lives.

The girl has no known family but if I had to guess there is Silvertree blood in her from one or more of her ancestors. Did you ask her if she influenced my decision to save them?"

He shook his head, "No, she did not influence your actions. She knew your heart on the matter. You are not wrong. You had a great uncle who was a bard, a son of Eldar. She comes from his line."

Charlus smiled, "I did what the Knight Paladin would do, bring her home. Even if she is mostly human."

He smiled at Charlus, "I would be in favor of that union if it happened."

Charlus looked at him, "Right now I will not pursue a fertile wife. My trust in your wife is shattered. She tore a hole in my heart. It does not mean I do not respect her as being your wife and a Goddess. It just means I have a lack of trust that what she wants for me is what is best for me.

I think she had that neutral dragon pry into my mind to let me know that you have more plans, potentially, for me than this life. If I beat the odds and live a long life. Because she did it, I do not trust the information is not a ploy. Something to simply get me to trust her again."

He looked at Charlus, "She wanted you to know of the very real possibility. That being said you should focus on this life. Keeping a low profile has not been a strong point and your unchecked aggression has not helped you since your return."

Charlus nodded, "Forcing me to become Duke means you are wanting to anchor me. To keep me from going back out there again."

He looked at Charlus, "That is not a done deal."

Charlus nodded, "I have thought about passing on the title and letting it go back to our uncle."

He shook his head, "If it comes to you, I am asking that you accept it. Not to would displease me. This weapon you want to build will only work so well."

Charlus nodded, "I would not let it anchor me then. As to the weapon, I would need to have forces go in and root out the ones who go to ground and hide in shelters. but it would fuck with them and make them hurt.

The ships should be doable without much trouble. The timeline is the biggest challenge. I will have to set up a contingency plan. A shield to hold them until the weapon is ready."

He looked at Charlus, "The weapon itself will frustrate you. It could take years to fine-tune it the way you want it. Even then it will never be mobile at least not mobile and secure.

It will thin them out and you should pursue it. You will force them to go underground and move away from the 'civilized' races."

Charlus looked at him, "I cannot afford to have a title anchor me."

He looked at Charlus, "Then do not let it anchor you. You will find a solution. The issues between my wife and you have to be resolved. But I can force neither of you to a solution."

Charlus looked at him, "Did she make it so she would get pregnant with 4? You know I cannot force a resolution when she refuses to address it. She is the one who has to want a solution.

Until then, we are stuck at what we have as I will not change my plans with the way things are currently. I will work to release my aggression in other ways. Sex is not always the answer, just the one she wants to force upon me."

He looked at Charlus, "You have asked her that question."

Charlus nodded, "She has refused to answer it. Let me change my question around. Did you make it so she would get pregnant with four?"

He looked at Charlus, "No. I did nothing to either of you. I have on occasion made it so the number was limited to other champions."

Charlus nodded, "That the mother would not survive. Like the elf-blood champion daughter of my grandfather."

He sighed, "She was never destined to have children. She wanted one more than anything. Her wish was granted. The child was born infertile because she could not be distracted by children with the war so close. She knew this.

She had a family history of mothers dying in childbirth. It was highly likely and she knew it. You have more turmoil coming. Time for you to wake up."

He woke up alone, Charlus showered dressed and got geared up. He stopped long enough to get all of his spells set. He went next door and knocked but got no answer. He went out into the main house and went to the back and found them gathered around her in a chair and the children being fawned over.

He looked around and waved Korina over and she smiled as she walked over, "Beautiful children."

Charlus nodded, "The fourth would have been beautiful too."