Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 08

Taking out the 10 in the front. He moved back more and threw up a wall of force as more bolts came in. One got through and the other four got deflected. He used the healing in the sword to heal himself up and dimension doored away as the anchor fell with the caster's death.

Charlus threw up another wall of force over them. They realize that way was blocked. Charlus blocked them again with another wall of force. They ran into the wall and began to panic. Charlus dimension doored back to the other side.

Charlus launched another acid explosion that was heightened into the group avoiding the caster who lost her hands as she was beyond the far wall of force. That killed all but 2 who threw down their weapons. He yelled over, "Hands in front of you."

They did. Charlus threw a set of manacles over, "Each of you wears a cuff."

Charlus rolled away as they bent down one threw a dagger where he had been while the other picked the manacle up. Charlus went forward and did a roundhouse kick and sent them both to the ground. He manacled up the two with one hand from each one hooked to the other. Then did the other hand. He manacled up the ankles on the woman. He walked over and stored his tact from his horse. He thought, "Danger still present?"

He heard back, "Yes but in and out. Like they are thinking about doing something or don't. They are being indecisive"

He pulled the ring. He felt the attempt at the mental intrusion being done. He thought, "STOP!"

Some kid went flying backward and was out cold. Had to have been 13 years of age if he had to guess. He sighed and picked the kid up as the crowds started coming out. Charlus tied the kid up and blindfolded him. He put him over his shoulder. Guards started riding into the square with swords drawn. Charlus looked at them, "A little late. Where were your market guards?"

He looked at Charlus, "Who in the fuck are you, elf?"

He looked at him and thought, "Bright as the sun."

His gear switched back to house insignia. "General Silvertree. Also known as Duke Silvertree and Diplomat for the Elven Queen. I want to see this General of yours now!"

He looked at Charlus, "You cannot order our generals about."

Charlus looked at him, "During a state of war I have Field Marshal status. As you have an insurgency that the King has not informed us about, I will request us to be in a state of war!"

He looked shocked, Charlus pulled out four crystals and activated them, "Your Majesties, I am in the human capital where I was attacked by 24 adult and one teenage assailant. I captured the teenager, the wizard leading the assault, and two others. The rest are dead.

I believe under the terms of our treaty, which I helped to write, an insurrection becomes a time to declare a state of war. I am formally asking to implement our Field Marshal status. I have crystals open to all of you so please discuss it but these prisoners belong to me as this was a coordinated attack on an elven diplomat."

King Fredrick called out, "It is not officially an insurrection."

Charlus called back, "Your Majesty, your guard at the gate, private Tailor told me it was and the city was under lockdown based upon orders from General Bricker. I would bring in that private for questioning as he was acting suspiciously.

He asked a lot of questions and fished something out of his pouch as I rode through the gate. Your guards and General are calling it one then it is one. The only casualty in my detail was my horse which got disintegrated!"

Queen Goldeagle called out, "I want a meeting without General Silvertree. He is correct the prisoners belong to him. Return as soon as you are able and meet me in my Audience Chamber."

Charlus looked over, "Majisa, the teenager I am bringing to you."

She sighed. She called out, "Why?"

Charlus smiled, "Because he does not have his HEAD on straight and he might be savable, Your Majesty."

Charlus heard her sigh, "Understood, I will have guards meet you at the front of the city to transfer the boy."

Charlus looked at the guard, "Give me a horse to sling these prisoners over. I will leave this Private Tailor to you."

He nodded. He put the crystals away. Charlus stripped the dead and captured anything magical or intelligence value. They brought in a horse that was on his last legs, "I said a horse not a bag of fleas. I need one to carry three prisoners. He looked at the man who came in, "Dismount and remove your saddle!"

The guard captain just nodded, "Name?"

He looked at Charlus, "Private Mason."

Charlus looked at him, "I get a new horse you will find this horseback at the main gate when I return. I will return today!"

He nodded. Charlus got the two guys hanging off the back and she was draped over the front. He carried the boy.

One of the guards asked, "What did you hit the teenage boy with?"

Charlus looked at him, "One word. Would you like a demonstration?"

He shook his head, "Captain, unless you have changed your ranks again, I want you and six others to follow me out."

He walked out of the city. She came too and Charlus knocked her out cold again.

Charlus looked over to Guard Taylor, "You need to contact someone guard Taylor to let them know I am leaving the city with prisoners?"

He went for a sword Charlus drew his blades. "Captain, stand down."

The guard looked like a trapped rat. He went for his pouch and Charlus cut off that hand. He screamed bloody murder. Charlus went to that pouch and pulled out a communication crystal. Charlus looked at the Guard Captain, "I told you I would leave you the private. The crystal is another matter."

He looked at Charlus as he walked away with the horse. He yelled, "You cannot do that!"

Charlus smiled and teleported away to the edge of Quatarsia. He saw a patrol, "Tell the herd General Silvertree is looking for a powerful stealthy stallion. Also, I need two mares for two wives I married last night. There are both battle clerics for Corellon Larethian."

He nodded, "Sent, anything else? Need us to wipe your ass too?"

Charlus looked at him, "This is what is left of 24 who attacked me. I am also a Duke." Charlus set the boy down and walked over to him, "Get out of that saddle."

He shook his head at Charlus. Charlus looked at the elf blooded rider and went forward, grabbed the neck of his horse, and swung his legs up, wrapped them around his body, and slammed him into the ground. Charlus looked at the others, "Stand down. This is a one-on-one matter."

He worked to get up and he heard one pulling a sword and Charlus tossed him his tube. He looked at it and put his sword away.

Charlus looked at them, "The Queen is waiting on me and these prisoners. Where are the horses."

He sighed, "I sent the request. I do not think he did."

Charlus looked at him, "Who is in charge of this patrol?" He pointed to the man on the ground. Charlus pulled out a crystal, "Duke Strong Oak. I am in your area. I had a run-in with one of your patrols. I have four prisoners; my horse was killed and this elf-blooded male is on the ground trying to figure out 'how in the fuck I just threw him out of his saddle using my legs.'"

He heard a response, "I am on my way."

Charlus yelled over, "He will be manacled to his horse's neck when you arrive."

Charlus walked over and he charged Charlus to tackle him, Charlus took him by the shoulders rolled onto his back. Charlus flung him in the air until he landed on his back. Charlus grabbed his hands and hooked them together in manacles. He dragged him to the horse. He got his hands over the horse's head and threw him into the saddle. Charlus looked at the horse, "Your rider is an idiot."

Charlus looked at the other man, "They try and dispel or disenchant those manacles it will cut off his hands. Magic is keeping the cuffs that big; they will constrict. They are encrypted.

In case you did not know I work communication issues for the Queen. Making some manacles that are encrypted was a solution to half-dragons who might break them or dragons who change form. You want to see a pissed-off dragon you can picture one with no front hands."

Charlus pointed at the wizard, "She found out the hard way."

He went around and looked at her lack of hands but constricted manacles.

The horses from the herd arrived, Charlus had a shadow stead come in with a dark grey star of hair on his face. Charlus nodded to him, "Shi'Cas."

Charlus heard, "Shadow Star I like."

Charlus got him hooked up and grabbed the boy. He took the reins to the other while the other two elven warhorses followed. Charlus teleported to the dragon main gate. Charlus had 4 guards. Charlus looked at them and spoke in draconic, "He is young, psionic and the neutrals can see if they can get his head straight. He attacked me mentally. He will be out for several days. Majisa knows how that occurred."

Charlus lowered the boy to them. They nodded to him. Charlus rode back and teleported to the edge of the city. He rode in and teleported to the palace gate and through and to the palace, Charlus thought, "Running late to get these prisoners to the Queen. We will ride when I get back."

He heard, "Good! The teleporting is making me dizzy."

Charlus heard him laugh. He looked at the guard, "Three sets of manacles. Last time I asked a guard to do it he cut the hands off of one of my prisoners. Like her."

He looked at her and went inside and came out with manacles. He took the one set of magical suppression manacles and put them on her. Charlus took his manacles off after getting each man into one set of manacles. They slumped down and the guard took them away.

He tied the one horse off to his saddle and walked inside. He went straight to the Audience Chamber. Queen Goldeagle looked at him, "You attacked one of the Duke's men?"

Charlus looked at her, "I identified myself, my rank and title, he was insolent. I ordered him off of his horse. When he did not comply, I used some acrobatics to make him comply. He then charged me. I flipped him up and over and onto his back.

I manacled him to his horse and left him. I did not leave a corpse or draw a weapon. I did for 20 humans I was forced into fighting. Before you ask, they disintegrated my horse and hit me with a dimensional anchor to keep me from traveling away, Your Majesty. They attempted to capture me."

She looked at Charlus, "The King said the guard misspoke because there is no insurgency."

Charlus nodded, "I got four prisoners who we can get the truth from. Three that I brought here. I left them with the guard when he drew a weapon on me as we left the city. I cut off his hand but grabbed his communication crystal, Your Majesty.

There were no guards in the market at all or they ran because they knew an attack was going to happen. They wanted me captured. Dimensional anchor and destroying my horse. Something is going on there and it is not as calm as he is making it out. The child, by the way, is psionic and I hit him with a word answer. His best chance of survival was the neutral dragons, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "The other 3 are here?"

Charlus nodded, "Your guards have them outside. The one giving order has no hands. One of her friends broke my manacles. They are also using a new kind of poison I am not familiar with, Your Majesty."

She looked startled by that admission. He pulled out the bolts. "Got hit by a few of these. I warned the market crowds to clear the market. I need to investigate this because I have to go back. Butterfly lives there with her elven husband. I had the conversation yesterday but another last night with Corellon that I was told to talk with her about, Your Majesty."

She sighed, "He wants to block your access to the city."

Charlus smiled as he switched forms. "Which one?"

She laughed, "Alright you can get into his city. We have elves in the city."

Charlus smiled, "We also have the authority to go in and take down any threat we find in the city. Non-negotiable, Your Majesty."

She nodded, "Alright try and get in without identifying who you are."

Charlus nodded, "Messenger from the Dragon Riders to a rider that lives in the city."

She nodded and wrote a note and sealed it, "For your Dragon Rider."

Charlus nodded. She sighed, "I will see what we got with this one. Moyra is looking to retire. Is your wife willing to take over?"

Charlus smiled, "She is expecting two and the other two are expecting three each. I will only intercede if it becomes dangerous for her, Your Majesty. This new poison worries me."

She looked back, "Bring in this woman. The guard brought her in dragging her. Queen Goldeagle looked at the missing hand and shook her head, "The King says there is no insurgency. You are just random street thugs. Let me assure you we can get answers without torture. Those manacles are his own design for dealing with half-dragons who like to break them. A Psionic will be brought in to go through your mind."

She just smirked and Charlus looked at her, "Some young psionic tried to get into my mind. I knocked his ass out with one word mentally. He might wake up in a week, maybe longer. Not good for him without help."

She looked at Charlus, "You are lying."

Charlus looked at her, "Brown hair and eyes around thirteen with a small scar on his chin. You can ask your two buddies outside. They were awake most of the way watching me carry the unconscious body of the boy." He nodded to the guard and they brought the other two in. They held them tight, "Tell her what I did with the boy?"

He looked at her, "He took him to the dragons. I did not understand what he told them."

Charlus nodded, "You can take those two to cells to await psionic interrogation."

She looked over, "Why did you take him to the dragons?!"

Charlus looked at her, "Does not work that way. Tell us about why there is an insurgency. Not who and not where. What are the issues?"

She looked at him, "The King is your puppet. We got one of the true heirs of the last King."

Charlus nodded, "The infertile King? All children were tested by clerics of Tyr. He had no legitimate heirs. You read?"

She nodded, "Yes, of course."

He pointed to a chair and the guards set her down. He pulled out a piece of paper; "This is an exact copy of the confession of the King. READ! That last section he went into detail about what he did with children especially those spawned by his demented wife."

She read it and almost got sick. "Anyone claiming they are the legitimate heir has been missed by the clerics of Tyr and the Elven Gods when we divined who the legitimate heir was and where to find him. He killed the last King for his crimes because you were facing potential destruction with nothing from money or a home.

You saw what I did to the others and I am a diplomat. Our battle mages would have leveled what was the town and drove any refugees into the chaos of the south. Not good for you, not for the Alliance as we needed a strong human ally to act as a beacon of hope to the other humans who were approaching barbaric status.

I spent 20 months traveling alone by altering my form to see what governments existed. NONE. Unless you count the ones being led by chromatic dragons that were eating the population 50 at a time! Would you get time to talk like this in front of a human King? You have the elven Queen sitting right there. What is the last name of this supposed heir?"

She looked at Charlus, "Blackwell."

Charlus shook his head, "He was a lower Nobel who lost his title with the switch. Not even in the line of succession. I have it all memorized. That is how I knocked the kid out mentally."

He walked over, "Pick a book and give me a page number.

She pointed at the top one, "Page seven last five words." Charlus smiled, "In the event of an" Charlus opened the book to page seven and showed her. He looked at her, "80,403 books. I hit that then I said stop mentally. One word, in 14 languages every sub-dialect, every variation. On one mental word. I took him to the neutral dragons. We have a non-aggression pact with them but some of them are psionic.

If anyone can help him recover it is them. I have a wife who is psionic and a son. Another on the way who is psionic. I know enough about psionics. I am immune to mind control. Where did this poison come from?"

She shook her head, "I do not work with poisons only spells. My husband was psionic. You captured my son."

Charlus nodded, "I saved him hopefully. He needs discipline and training. I just got him to the best trainers in the land. They might be able to save his life. You were trying to capture me. Why?"

She looked at him, "You could be used to force the elves to replace the King. You put him in place."

Charlus shook his head, "Your past King and your own lines of succession put him in place. We made sure with human and elven divination to put the right person on the throne based upon your laws at the time. The 7 children went and became paladins or clerics to Tyr. Wards of the order.

They are still there because we watch for this kind of stupidity. None of them are adults yet! Your Majesty would you contact Zirra. Ask her to go to G-4 book 12 in the library, sickly green cover, and bring it to the palace with my wives. Bring two saddles and bridles so teleport is advised. She nodded and contacted his house. She spoke with Zirra and she got everyone rounded up.

Charlus looked at her, "You killed my horse. You want to know what is bad about that?"

She looked at Charlus, "What?"

Charlus looked at her, "Just like your son, they are psionic. Intelligent and know common and elven. They prefer the elven language. I could have just as easily done that to your son. Instead, I took him someplace that might save his life.

My sword had a danger sense. I knew I was being targeted. In the end, the boy was indecisive, should he act or should he not act. He was not doing it for your cause. He was trying to save his mother. I can respect that."

It took an hour. Zirra walked in, "We assumed the two horses standing next to the new shadow stallion are for your new wives?"

Charlus nodded, "This lady needs new hands first. One of her friends cut through my manacles. I have not undone the two pieces because I am out of healing from my sword. I did not want her shooting blood across the Queen's Audience Chamber, yet again."

The Queen chuckled, "I thought his solutions for communication crystals were over the top. Then I saw what he did with manacles. I ripped into that guard later. For failing to listen."

Trilia walked in. He looked at her, "Her son is like you, would you talk with her. I had to take him to the neutrals. I did not know who was trying to get into my mind. I sent a message of 'Stop!' Knocked him out cold and got him to them to see if they could revive him.

Your mother was pretty weak even with wizards teleporting a small amount of food into her stomach. No telling how long a thirteen-year-old untrained would be out of it."

Trilia sat there and talked with her for several minutes. Rose did some light healing as she took off each cuff and then hit her with regeneration.

She looked at the manacles, "Who creates something like this?"

Charlus smiled, "That would be me. They are designed to be unbreakable for casters and for use on half-dragons and dragons who might break them. Taking off their hands. Each manacle is encrypted separately. Each set is different.

You remember my memory of books. The book Zirra brought in. Open it to page 84 and find the lines of succession and then find the name Blackwell in the minor house section on page 210, the bottom of the page."

The mother looked ill. Charlus looked at her, "What made you hook up with him? What is the King doing?"

She looked at Charlus, "Almost a 50% tax on good and our pay. We are being driven into the ground."