The New Game Master

he nodded, "One that can speak."

He heard Olivia in his head, "I am using telepathy to talk with you privately. There are things you need to know. The man who raised you as his son was not your father. He was friends with your father and became lovers with your mother after you were born.

The sword belonged to your real father. Anyone not of your family bloodline will get the normal flame colors. There are seven royal family bloodlines. That blade ties to the house of the Rising Moon, the third of the seven.

It has other abilities but you will never know them unless you embrace that blade over any other weapon including a bow. You are gaining power but it will not try to force its will upon you until you are strong enough. If you fail in this contest of wills it will kill you.

If you succeed you must swear that the family sword is the only weapon you will use in combat other than magic. You refuse to do so and the sword will go dormant. Displaying no magical properties until given to a member of your house. That is considered a major insult to the house.

You accept and it will remake you into a sword-bearer; most likely a scout for you given your skills. Any bow abilities you have would be lost and turned to the sword. Even if it were something you wanted. The royal family would track you down and kill you to get it back. You being a half-elf."

He thought to her, "What are my options? Sell the sword? Return the sword sounds impossible if they will just kill me to get it."

She smiled, "In short, you show that blade to a vendor and you are a dead man. There is not a collector in the world who would not like to have it in their collection. A legend & lore done on that blade will reveal what it is. As to returning it. You could return it. In exchange for another blade or even a bow.

You would have to get a message to the house and arrange an exchange. Then a negotiation begins on what you want for the return of the blade. You would need an intermediary. Like me. I am a daughter of the sixth house."

He thought back, "How long would this take?"

She responded, "It could be done by the time we reach the first inn. Do you want me to contact my house to act as an intermediary?"

He looked at her and nodded, "As soon as possible. I want a mildly enchanted elven sword and a kick-ass elven bow for it. Start out big, see where it goes."

She visibly sighed, "They will want the blade the question is how bad and how little bloodshed."

He looked at her, "I could throw it in a lake, canyon, or bury it. I know they cannot track the blade or they would have been at my doorstep ages ago."

He took his pack off. He pulled the sword and sheath off and put it into the main pocket of his backpack.

He looked at her, "Let them know I have it stored in a magical backpack. The next attack I get involved with after contacting them I will cut the pack and send it to the astral plane. When they would kill me for having it by giving it back to them is a major gesture on my part. I am not asking for millions in gold pieces.

I am a bow user but I have to have a decent weapon at my side. I can think of no finer weapon than another elven blade. However, my primary weapon is and always will be a bow. That is what I will always use first. If I were a focused sword user I would never have contacted them."

She nodded, "We will talk. I have to send a telepathic message through a device."

Two hours later and she waves me over, "Tie up your horse and have a seat." I sat down beside her on the coach seat. She looked at him, "I am in mental contact a representative of the house. There intermediary, as they would not negotiate directly with a half-elf.

They offer a moderate bow and low-end sword. No special abilities."

He looked at her, "Tell them I would consider accepting that if they gave me a house signet ring and formally recognized me as a member of there house. Else they better come up with a better offer. She smiled and then physically laughed.

She came back to me, "A low-end sword with a frost ability and a moderate bow with the twining ability. Every arrow you fire gets twinned."

He looked at her, "If I had the double shot ability it would be four arrows?"

She looked at him, "Yes."

He sighed, "I will agree to that provided they include a non-magical house signet ring as well. They do not need to formally recognize me but I would like something that reminds me of my father no matter where I go. I do not think it is too much to ask to have a small piece of one's heritage."

She sat there for a moment, "They agreed. They were surprised you asked for it to be non-magical."

he looked at her. "Tell them as I go through this life I will always find a magical ring that is better than another for a given day. This way I never have to worry about choosing to take it off."

She smiled and then she nodded, "They will meet us at the next inn. You will have to show them the sword once to show you are related to your father."

He nodded, "I figured that much because of the ring request. It is a reasonable demand. I do not want any repercussions if I have to deny the sword to demonstrate that I am who I say I am." She sent the message off. She shook her head, "That would be a deal-breaker.

He sighed, "Then I better off sending it to the astral plane and being done with it. Unless they have an answer to that problem."

She relayed the message and she looked at me, "The new wielder would come. He could claim the sword if he is strong enough. Then you could hold the blade without it trying to claim you to prove your blood."

He looked at her, "I hope they send someone the sword will accept. I will not be held accountable for his or her death."

They had 2-days of peaceful travel to the inn and Olivia went in first. She came out, "They are here. They brought 6 guards and the bearer along with the intermediary."

He looked at his team, "I need six guards to effect an exchange of weapons. I know Kerria and Rosetta will go. Olivia has to go as my intermediary that leaves four.

Frankus and Trevon come forward along with Gregor and Sara. He nodded, "That will do nicely."

They walked into a large private room with the 8 of them and the 8 in Raven's group. He stopped when Olivia stops. She held her hands out to me and he withdrew the blade in the sheath from his pack. he handed her the blade.

The intermediaries exchange the weapons while he holds the ring for the verification. Olivia nodded and the guy nodded to the lady beside him. She drew the blade and it does not light up. He looked at her, "I will not shout the command phrase for that sword out. It would not be right for the House."

She walked back and signaled me to do the same.

He whispered the phrase to her and told her, "Just think about it."

She activates the blade and red and yellow flames appear. She looked at Raven and shouted, "Deceiver!" She threw the blade at him and he caught it by the grip and the flames change to blue and purple before her eyes. He now found himself on his knees in a battle of wills for my life.

The fight feels like it is going on forever. In the end, he found himself in an elven forest with an elven version of Lillian. She looked at him, "Did not see that plot twist coming."

He looked at her, "You were just trying to get me to draw that sword one more time." She nodded. "Now you have a choice to make."

He looked at her, "Be hunted because I have claimed the sword while dishonoring the sword. Because I am a half-elf. No real choice is there. I could go for option three and purposefully fail my will save."

She looked at me, "You wouldn't!"

He looked at her, "If it is a choice of being hunted with or without the blade you gave me no choice."

She looked at him, "What if I told you that you would no longer be half-elven but full elven if you took up the blade?"

He looked at her, "You plan on fucking with my cock as well or does that stay the same?"

She laughed, "Just like a guy to think about his cock."

He looked at her, "You wanted it this way. You put us in this bind. You want me to continue to entertain you and I played along. But if I am being recast because you do not like arcane archers."

She rolled her eyes, "OK, so they are not my favorite."

He nodded, "So this was not a 'my choice by what I write' but you rewriting my choice. If we are doing that we need to come to an agreement on how this would play out. Else you might have broken your own contract."

She turned away, "How do you want this to play out by being the blade wielder."

He looked at her as he circled around, "You drop the requirement that it is the only weapon I will ever use. I continue to use my bow."

She glared, "No. I want you to be done with the bow and you will be done with the bow. We will have to adjust all of your skills for bows over to swords. Single weapon style. I think eldritch Knight or Blade singer."

He looked at her, "With an elven house that will not accept me?"

She smiled, "They will, for a full elf which you will be. You have to get the royal house to accept you. You just have to get on board with this. One other thing. Lyria is an elven deity as well."

He looked at her, "No Blade Singer! You broke your contract with me."

She looked at him, "Why not blade singer?"

He looked at her, "Protector of the elven people and way of life after they wanted to kill me for being half-elven seconds ago. I do not think that flies."

She nodded, "Fair point. Why did you give yourself a cool sword but make yourself a bow user?"

He smiled, "Environment. Hunting in that kind of community would be more common than swordplay. Even you threw away the weaponsmith from my story. A mystery sword as a secondary weapon is not as big of a game-breaker as giving me something incredible as a primary weapon. Like a twining bow. Nice thought by the way."

She nodded, "I see your logic in this now. The new class combination is not a problem, your cock, and the name of the deity. You will role-play your way through the royal house issue just because I want to see what you come up with."

He looked at her, "The level and skills? This was not what I agreed to play."

She ignored his statement on the agreement and nodded, "Those will work easily enough.

He looked at her, "I have to be aware of what the sword did to me when I come out of this."

She nodded. He sighed, "You broke your deal. Go ahead and continue Goddess Liar."

She smiled. He found himself on his knees. He turned off the flames. He rushed the woman who threw the sword at him. He had it pointed at her neck. He yelled back, "Nobody move except for the two intermediaries! They can move up here."

Olivia came up and looked at me, "Oh gods!"

He nodded, "You can say that. This room is too close to violence. Leave Kerria and Rosetta. They can leave two guards. All of the others need to leave now. Then we'll talk."

They rush the others out of the room and into the hallway. He looked at the woman, "Your mother still alive?"

She shook her head. He looked at her, "Because she had a lover who made you. Not the man who is part of this royal line."

She looked at him, "The royal line did not come from my mother."

He looked at her and laughed, "Did it come from her father's side then?"

She nodded. He looked at her, "Great this is even better. We need a scribe and royal seals from both your house and mine Olivia. In addition to your parents if they are still alive. Then whoever is the ruling member of my line. They all need to be here. They can bring guards but they have to remain out in the hall."

She looked at me, "What do you have planned?"

He looked at her, "Telepathy."

She contacted him, "What is the plan?"

He sighed, "Several degrees of fraud so an elven house can save face."

She nodded and the two of them went away.

He grabbed the girl by the back of the neck and lead her to a chair against a small dresser and he waved Kerria over to bring a chair and she looked at me, "It changed you."

He nodded, "I know it did. I was not given a choice and forced by this fraud to claim the blade when she threw it at me. You best stand back before the two remaining guards go nuts. The trickster was in full force tonight."

An hour later and the people he requested showed up. He looked over, "Magically lock the door. All of those who are here as guards grab a chair. Place it in front of that door and sit. Those of the two royal households. We have an issue for House Rising Moon going back two generations."

He grabbed the girl's hand and he put the blade into her hand as he activated the blade.

The red and yellow flames. He took the blade back from her. "Her grandmother had a lover. Her father and grandmother were not a royal of the third house and neither is she. She threw the blade at me and the blade forced me to choose. The one thing I did not want to do but she forced it. I know how this blade bound to me and I can never again use a bow.

It did more than mess with my classes it also changed me to be fully elven. This creates quite a number of problems for the third royal house. Anyone disagree please speak so now."

He looked over, "Intermediary for the third house could you step over here, please. He did so and Raven stood. He grabbed his hand and put the blade in his hand. It was blue and purple.

He looked at him. "Still confident this is the House blade?"

He nodded. He took the blade and walked over to the two house leaders and he could tell who the leader of the third house was as he was white with this news. He held out the blade. "Do you wish to check it out for yourself?"

He shook his head, "I know the House blade."

He looked at him, "Who was her grandmother married too?"

He looked at Raven, "Me."

Raven looked at him, "Do you have any other children?"

He nodded, "I have another son from my second wife."

He nodded, "For the sake of your house I would have divination double check that. If I am the only heir to the third house who knows what kind of children I would breed into the family tree. The sword made me fully elven. That means some fraud is going to have to occur if you wish to keep your house together."

He looked at Raven, "What are you proposing?"

He looked at him, "First you need to contact a cleric and divine if the other son is yours or not. Might as well send that message now. Second. I am to be recognized as my father's son. The legitimate blade holder of this royally fucked up blade. Intermediary what is your relationship to the ruler and do you have children?"

He laughed, "Nephew, I have no children and I am beyond the years to have children. He has a younger sister but she was disowned years ago for taking human lovers and making abominations. She is dead but she has a few children and grandchildren floating around. Half-elven and human. No full-blooded elven children."

He looked at Kerria, "Can you divine if my house leader is still capable of producing heirs?"

She nodded and stood up and shook her head for everyone to see. He looked at him, "Your arrows no longer hit the mark."

The answer came back from the check on his other son and he was not a royal.

Raven looked at him, "I am all you have in the world to carry your genes through history. When it made me totally elven it did so based on my father's genes. As such I am almost as pure in that regard as my father was. There is the matter of my upbringing, my true mother, and your cheating wives."

He looked at Kerria again, "Is Olivia capable of having children still?"

She went over and checked and Olivia's eyes went wide and Kerria taped her on the shoulder and shook her head. He looked to the head of the sixth house, "Can you check to see if you have a fertile female of age and in the cycle right now?"

He looked at me, "Why?"

He looked at Kerria, "Check to see if I am fertile."

She came up and checked.

She smiled, "Oh yes you could probably knock..."

She did not finish her statement and walked away then she walked away. She then walked over and checked Rosetta. She looked at me and pointed at Rosetta. She smacked her hand and sent it in the air. She pointed at herself and mouthed 'like Olivia'

He looked at Rosetta, "You are going to be a mother."

Olivia had her hand to her mouth. He held up his hand, "That occurred before I was changed so that means a half-elf. The only way I will have a fully elven child is to knock up an elven woman. Or knock Rosetta up a second time." She shook her head. "This is where Olivia's house comes into play."

The head of that royal house asked, "Why would I want one of my offspring having a child or children with you?"

He looked at him, "For the one thing all royals have in common. The craving for power. You see I could never see myself taking a royal chair in a court that despises the fabric of the ground I was conceived upon.

I would renounce my claim to my unborn elven child or children to be held in trust. Overseen by there elven mother until such time as they are of age to take the crown as I have no time for court politics. This is of course after the head of the house passes. With all the shocking news that could be any day now."

He glared at Raven. Raven looked at him, "You have little choice but to recognize me as your heir. Too many people know the facts about this now. None of the other children 'you' have can ever hold this blade. Not as a real member of the house. You must set it up that none of your other children are allowed to take the crown of the third house.

That is why you have royal seals here from two families. I want all of this witnessed. You might as well get started with that first now."

He looked at the girl in the corner as he put the sword away. "I did not deceive you. Your grandmother did. Sorry, you are of this house in name only. None of you can hold title over the house. What is your name?"

She looked at Raven, "Yol'Rayanna."

He looked at his Grandfather, "That should remain so as the scandal might just bring the third house down." The head of the third house hung his head.

He looked at the girl, "You can grab a seat at the table. I did not want to do that to you just as I did not want to be forced into becoming the blade holder."

He walked over to the uncle, "I will take that ring now."

He handed him the ring and he put it on his pinky finger. He looked at the head of Olivia's house, "Power interests you?"

He nodded, "Yes it does. I have sent a message and have my grandchildren of age being tested now." He waved Olivia and the ladies over. He looked at Olivia, "My father would have been happy if I had been able to have a child with you to save his family. I think so anyway."

He looked at Rosetta. "How does motherhood sit with you?"

She shook her head and looked at him, "Nothing you could do about it now. Nothing remotely ethical or good. I have family who could raise the child once I give birth."

He smiled at her and placed his forehead on hers. Kerria looked at Olivia, "I cannot have children. I am like you in that regard."

Olivia sighed. The head of her house came back, "I have three granddaughters who fit that description."

He nodded, "Send all three." He looked shocked, "You cannot marry all three?"

He nodded, "True, but if all three legitimate or not being accepted in the house they will be a prince or princess. Accepted by the father as being his children they are princesses or princes.

While the eldest is eventually King or Queen. On paper, I will only be married to the one who has a child first. In actuality. I will never marry any of them. That is your part of this fraud. His is the scandal in his own home and having to accept me. This is the way a half-elven unwanted bastard gets back at the royal families who look down on him."