Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 09

He nodded, "One less thing I have to do. I hold her will. She did not have much."

Mercian nodded, "I know they sunk it into that business."

He nodded and rode out.

Anama'Losgadh brushed her head against him, "You made them pay from what I saw. I know that it hurts to lose a mother. I lost mine years ago when she gave birth to a brother of mine."

Mercian thought back, "She did not take the threat seriously enough. Nothing I can change. She was a good mother to me and lived longer than my father by 20 years."

He fed Anama'Losgadh, went to his room, secured the door, and went to sleep.

---

Mercian was back at the falls and he fell to a seated position. The Lady of Dreams arrived, "I know you are upset. I did not set you up with her."

He nodded, "Good, I have no trust in her. She likely told her where my mother's shop was but did not know what she would do. I felt bad she got caught in the middle but she was sleeping with the enemy who tried to kill me. Did kill my mother; conspired too."

She sighed, "Your mother has moved on and is glad you stayed alive. Lucians people killed one and captured one of the 2 who escaped. Your Patron got the answers the King needed. Both, in league with them and was fucking her. He escaped the building from the first floor.

He did not see anything but fire and screaming people dying. The Guard Captain was a part of that gang as well. Needless to say, the King assembled all his guard captains. He ripped into them before demoting them and bringing up others to take their place.

Mercian nodded, "Noted, others who wish to kill me."

She sighed, "Not all of them but a couple would if they could get away with it. Right now, they are fighting to keep employed. Getting out of the city for a few days would not be a bad idea."

Mercian looked at her, "I was thinking a few decades."

She shook her head, "You have a lot to do yet before you could even consider something like that. Like starting a family."

He shook his head, "On hold until I have my head on straight. I am going to get flooded with money from fines and the dragons."

She nodded, "Yes, you will. You will manage it. Holding on a family is never a good thing for a champion."

Mercian looked at her, "Name one who waited? Then have them talk to me about their regret for waiting."

The Lady of Dreams sighed, "I was concerned you would go down this road."

Mercian looked at her, "Which road?"

She looked at him, "One where you are second-guessing your decisions. You set a course and now you need to follow through."

Mercian nodded, "I am not saying I will not follow through. On marriage, it might be a while because I am not in a good place at the moment. I also need to find out where the Knights are at?"

She sighed, "Lucian has that answer as you would guess. They are much smaller as each race took their Knights when they left the Alliance. Start your day."

---

He awoke, got his prayers in, showered, dressed, and packed up his room. He went to the dining area and saw the Patron. Mercian looked at him, "I know what you found out. At least enough. I am leaving the city for a while. I have the crystal to the house but it will likely be stored away if I am hunting. I have a will for you to hold in case they find my body and the sword somewhere."

He sighed, "Where are you going?"

He smiled, "Hunting, the four-legged variety."

He nodded, "You stay safe."

Mercian nodded, "Get me a list of all those who never got anything from the trust. There will be money coming in."

He nodded, "I have quite a bit coming in due to that patron on patron attack. I was thinking the same thing."

Mercian sighed, "Well, I got a reward coming in from dragons. Including taking down the King of the Gold Dragons that was corrupted. They said significant so who knows how much that is. Get a complete family list as well."

Patron Silvertree looked at him, "Planning on sharing it out?"

Mercian nodded, "That was my thought, but until I know what I am dealing with it will be hard to say."

He nodded, "You were the right one for that sword. Charlus told me you would likely get it if he lived long enough. He wanted it in the hands of an adult but he said you had a talent for the blades and the bow. Not counting your magic."

Mercian nodded, "I miss him, and now my mother. No service. At least I will not be at one as there is not a body to bury."

He nodded, "I returned the gear to the armory. I stored the supplies you brought back for the young to practice crafting upon."

Mercian nodded, "Good. I am no enchanter."

He patted Mercian arm, "Good hunting."

Mercian got Anama'Losgadh ready. Fed her and then headed out. He stopped by the church to Solonor Thelandira.

He walked in, "I wish to buy healing wands. I am heading out into the wild. He nodded and Mercian purchased 20 of them and gave a donation as well. The cleric nodded to Mercian, "Good hunting."

Mercian flipped his bow around and nodded, "Exactly."

He had his woodland garb on over his armor. He was dressed for the hunt. He left the main gate and teleported down to the border of Quatarsia. He took the road to the wood-elf village.

As expected, he got a pair of crossed arrows in front of him. He stopped. Picked them up, mounted up, and had one in each hand. He thought, "Take it slow."

He had two riders come in. "What do you need outsider?"

Mercian looked at him, "I was not born here but I am far from an outsider. I am a descendant of Eldar Silvertree, whose mother was Elara Strong Oak. The last champion Charlus brought me here to hunt many years ago. My ancestor. I carry my family Moon Blade now. I am also a Knight in the elven court. I came here to see the falls, pay my respects, and to hunt."

He looked at Mercian, "You cannot hunt here."

Mercian looked at him, "You misspeak. I have to have permission from your elder to hunt here. He is free to answer me."

He waved Mercian on, "He will tell you the same."

Mercian smiled, "I doubt he would do that."

He laughed. They rode into the village. They had young rangers in training. They pulled up in front of a prominent wood-elf home. Mercian got off his horse and watched the young archers as they practiced. He was a good 400 feet back and he watched the 6 students as each fired 3 arrows at moving targets. He got tapped on the shoulder. The elder asked him, "What are you looking at?"

Mercian smiled, "The 6 students. The third one is the best at the moment but the sixth has the best potential."

He looked at Mercian, "Why do you say this?"

Mercian looked at him, "He has the right form and breathing down. He is tracking his target, he just needs better instruction on leading the target. Then he will be very deadly."

He looked at Mercian, "You know something about a bow, growing up in a city?"

Mercian smiled, "Elder you assume much. I spent years training in woods like this and have even hunted here before with Charlus. Hunting is best in this part of the Kingdom."

Mercian pointed at the range, "May I?" He nodded. Mercian flipped his bow around with the two arrows the wood elves had shot in front of him. He loaded them both drew back, turned the bow sideways, and fired one arrow into the center of each of two moving targets. They had been moving in different directions.

The arrows exploding into splinters on impact."

He looked at Mercian, "They say you are a knight. You carry two swords and a bow."

Mercian nodded, "I am a ranger and battle sorcerer gestalt." He stepped to the left about two feet, drew back an empty bow and an arrow appeared. He lined up his shot and the timing. Mercian looked at the Elder and away from the target. He closed his eyes and released the arrow. It obliterated two of the support lines sending the course to a crashing halt.

He put his bow way, "You had 16 scouts, 10 in the trees, and 6 on the ground on my way in. All males except three. Two females in the trees and one on the ground."

He looked at Mercian, "You are a champion are you not?"

Mercian took his shirt off and the top of his armor and he looked at his chest. He nodded, "The fourth symbol I do not recognize."

Mercian nodded, "Added by the Gods. Charlus is considered a Revered Champion of the people. I carry the Silvertree blade now."

The Elder nodded, "You can hunt here. To deny a champion would be against our ways."

Mercian nodded, "That was what you told Charlus when he brought me here 45 years ago. He built a target course like this with more moving targets. Just to help train us. He walked over to the sixth student. "There is still a moving target in the back. Do you see it?"

He nodded.

Mercian looked at him, "Take aim at the target. Whichever direction it is heading in move your hand that is gripping the bow over one length of your fist at this range. You have the other tools. Hit your target."

He looked at the target and made the adjustment. He nailed the center area. Not dead center but much closer than he had previously. Mercian looked at him, "Every time you switch distances. You add another fifty feet, add another half a hand to the movement to lead your target. The speed of the creature will come to you later. Your form and breathing are good."

Mercian put his armor on and his shirt. He walked back to the Elder, "Thank you for granting your permission. I would like to travel with one of your hunting parties when they go out."

He nodded, "They will leave shortly on foot. He thought to Anama'Losgadh, "Graze, enjoy the sunshine."

He heard Anama'Losgadh laugh back at him, "Good hunting."

Mercian looked at his escort, "You leading this party?"

He nodded, "I want to keep an eye on you."

They left the village and headed further south back across the road. There were 7 of them as a hunting party was normally 6. They moved along slowly after crossing and went deeper. Varus'Nor alerted, "Danger."

Mercian stopped and listened. He ducked behind a downed tree. He looked over at the leader and whispered, "We are being hunted. Is your gear magical?"

He shook his head.

Mercian looked around and caught sight of a drow in a tree a good 500 feet off, their vision in daylight suffered and he knew this. Mercian looked at him, "Drow."

He looked at Mercian, "Where?"

Mercian went invisible and stood. He drew back on his bow and took aim. He fired an electrical plasma shot into the drow's forehead and he fell from the tree. Mercia dropped down as 12 bolts came in at him. Mercian looked at them. "Gather." Mercian pulled a bolt out of his side.

It had a head with teeth that tried to chew deeper. He teleported them back to the village. While holding the bolt in one hand He reached around and snapped it in half. He looked at them, "That is a significant force. They are well-armed."

He used the sword's ability to heal himself up. The elder approached the group on the ground, "What happened?" Merican showed him the two pieces of the bolt, "Drow happened. One is dead and there is at least another 12 out there. These bolts try and chew their way deeper. This is new."

He nodded, "I will contact the Duchess and let her know what you found."

Mercian nodded, "I am still going hunting." He put the bow away and drew his swords."

He nodded, "Stay safe champion. I will let her know you are in the area."

Mercian went invisible and teleported back to where they had been. Right in the middle of four of them.

He did a spinning sweep and put those four down with one head bouncing away as he dropped into a crouch. He had another 12 bolts that came flying toward him, but he was already behind cover. They were spread out. He dimensions doored to the furthest distance behind the attackers. That was his hope. Instead, he found a camp with almost 100 of them. He rolled into a group of 16 and teleported them up to 10,000 feet.

He then returned himself back to the village after switching forms to fly away. He came out of invisibility and switched his form back in front of the startled villagers. He looked at them, "I did say I was also a battle sorcerer. I killed 4 more directly. I went as far behind them as I could and found a camp with at least 100. I took 15-16 of them up to 10,000 feet and dropped them back into their camp. They know they have been found. They will move to strike."

The elder got on the crystal, "Duchess the champion returned. Said there are at least 100 of them in the woods south of our village, on the other side of the trade road."

Mercian heard her groan, "My forces are toward the southbridge."

He pulled out a crystal. "Guard, get the King. Let him know I need Lucian here to coordinate a strike against a hundred plus drow insurgents in the village of Porzcosa."

The guard responded, "Contacting the palace."

He heard the King, "I am in open court at the moment."

Mercian called out from the crystal, "Your Majesty, this cannot wait! I am in the village of Porzcosa and there is a camp south of here with over 100 drow. The Duchess said her troops are on the south road at the moment and out of position. The drow are heavily armed with new magic. I need Overwatch support."

He heard the King groan. "I will send an agent there to help coordinate and get them looking at that location."

He sat down and drew a crude map in the dirt. Lucian arrived near his horse. Mercian looked over, "She is here to help."

He pointed out the camp location and what he had done so far, along with a timeline. She contacted Overwatch to send them to the right grid. Overwatch responded, "We are seeing the movement of more than a hundred in that area. Several hundred with necromancy signatures."

She got a crystal and relayed the information back to the King who brought the Duchess into the loop. She started recalling casters and alerted the Academy. Mercian called out, "They are using a new bolt. It chews like an animal and tries to go deeper. You get hit by one get it out quickly."

She groaned, "Alright. I want to know how in the hell they got in?"

Mercian chuckled, "They burrowed in somewhere where we do not have Overwatch or Overwatch missed them coming into this area.

Regardless, you got a problem. I am going back out there to see if I can figure out which way they're going. I will take Lucian with me."

She nodded, "I am ready. She went invisible and he did the same." He took them as far as the road for the moment and they snuck in on foot. They could see them searching over the area. He whispered, "Stay and watch, I am getting the Duchess some intelligence." She nodded. He moved around until he was in position and crouched down.

7 approached his position. He pulled out the rod of expansion and took all seven and dropped them from 2,000 feet in front of the Duchess's Keep. He glided down as the bodies hit the ground. They just missed the returning casters. Mercian took his ring off, "I believe I have killed close to 30 so far. I thought you might get some useful intelligence off of those 7."

The mage standing there looked at Mercian, "Who are you?"

Mercian laughed, "The ranger who found them. Also, the champion of Corellon Larethian Mercian Silvertree."

He went inside and got the Duchess. She came out and he nodded to her, "Hello cousin."

She sighed, "I hated it when Charlus said that and I will hate you saying that."

Mercian nodded, "Does not change the fact you have a problem. I brought you something to work with. What has Lucina reported back?"

She shook her head, "Nothing to me. Which way are they headed?"

Mercian sighed, "They were spreading out from their camp. I only saw about a hundred but Overwatch is seeing several hundred. They would have to answer that question. At the moment they are trying to figure out who is killing them. Last I saw they were south of the trade road and spreading. Direct line for Porzcosa."

She looked at him, "I hate sending battle mages into the woods."

Mercian nodded, "Then don't. Send archers. Fighters. Battle Clerics."

She looked at him, "I need them gone in a hurry."

Mercian nodded. "Any other cold-based or storm bases sorcerers?"

She looked at Mercian, "What did you have in mind?"

Mercian smiled, "Weather. Blizzards create thunderstorms to force them back or escape the woods." She looked around and found four others. He looked at them. "Get fly on yourself. Set all winds to blow straight south. We will make it miserable for them. I can take us in at 10,000 feet invisible above the edge of where they were."

They all nodded and gathered. He took them in at 15,000 to give them more time to cast. He threw four expanded blizzard spells over the area. He saw 4 other blizzards go off and 4 thunderstorms set. He teleported back to Porzcosa and looked at the elder. "Did she come back?"

He nodded, "She got hit by a couple of those bolts. They got them out but they are vicious weapons."

He went to see her, "What are they doing now? We just gave them a lot of bad weather."

She sighed, "Let me check."

She got on the crystal while Mercian went outside and found Anama'Losgadh, "We have drow everywhere south of here. Their bolts are magical and dangerous. Warn the herd. They will chew through you."

She responded, "Message sent. Those not assigned are headed further north away from the area. Thank you for the warning."

Mercian went back to the house, "What are they doing?"

She looked at him, "They are headed for the keep in Quatarsia. They know and they are preparing for them. The Duchess asked that you stay away."

Mercian sighed, "What are the directions from the King?"

She looked at Mercian, "This is the Duchesses area. She appreciates what you have done but does not want a champion-on-champion explosion in her area."

Mercian looked at her, "Ask the Duchess if she overrules the Gods on this one?"

She sent the message. The response came back, "The Gods are not on the ground here!"

Mercian responded back, "But I am their champion and am on the ground here."

She groaned out, "You destroy my woods I will kill you myself."

Mercian responded, "If I take out a champion and you want your woods saved you will have to drop the teleport blocker so I can take them away before they explode. I will circle high above and see if I can isolate a champion."

Mercian left the room and stayed out of the fight. She restricted what her casters could use to make them nearly ineffective. Mercian spotted one woman giving orders from the woods. He dimension doored down behind her about 100 feet away. She stopped and looked around. He thought, 'She has a danger sense on.'

He swung his bow around and watched her from his location as he took aim. She turned back toward the battle.

He shot a hole into her. He dropped his bow, drew his swords and dimension doored behind her as she turned to where he had been. Mercian drove his blades home and heard the crack. He took her to 100,000 feet. Sailed away and teleported back to get his bow and then back to the center of the fort. The champion exploded in the sky. He looked over, "Found her."

She looked at Mercian, "We still have them outside the walls!"

Mercian nodded, "Let your casters unleash on the road. They can keep their fireballs out of the woods. Take the fucking manacles off of them. Where are the others?!"

She groaned and gave the order, "I brought back only what I needed!"

He dimension doored out of the Keep and flew over the area. He launched acid explosions from a wand. He got hit by two more of the bolts and he worked to pull them out while moving away. He got them removed and down two potions before turning back and laying down a few more acid explosions.

The wand popped out and he dimension doored away and that wand popped out. He loaded another dimension door and a healing wand. He turned back and went in casting spells. Cone of cold and another quickened over the group. He got hit by 3 bolts on that pass. He worked to pull them out and got two out but could not get a hold of the third one in his left leg. He teleported to Porzcosa. He drew his sword and cut himself open and then grabbed the bolt before it got to his stomach.