Galen Vesa

I’m hearing things, aren’t I? What did I agree to? Something about planting a fancy tree they needed for something… Dolt you idiot. Read the fine print. Always. Eh, as usual, I have no one but myself to blame. I should have listened when Earth explained why they need that tree. Ask questions like a sensible person would ask.

Does the wolf know? Did she agree to, whatever this is?

“Yes. She knows. She is the keeper and lawmaker of this place. One must obey her word to remain here.”

And you will listen? You lot will obey her orders even though this place is now part of your domain?

“Yes.”

Their smiles faded a little bit. What a shrewd guild master. Seems like Altina did think this through before going headfirst into this mess. I should go and talk with her. That sounds like a plan, just to fix my voice and I’ll be good to go. I turned to Water and pointed at my throat.

I’ve strained my voice and your ring has trouble dealing with it. Can you speed this up? I need to talk to few people.

A little crowd began gathered under the tree. I could see some familiar faces, but no one dared to approach us. Presence of four spirit Queens in the flesh worked as a powerful deterrent. Oh...

“Fear not my love. Aside from you and our guild master, no other mortal knows of our presence here. They think us lesser than what we are.”

Water winked at me.

“As for this wound, there is not much else that can I do. You need time to recover. Damage done by overflowing mana does not heal by adding more mana. Unless...”

The three of them looked at the Queen of Wind, standing further apart from the others. Her frame seemed least imposing from all the gathered queens while at the same time, compared with those three, she also felt least human.

“I will gladly offer my help if it is desired.”

She raised her palm to her lips and exhaled while a part of her detached itself and along her mana left her mouth to form a tiny blue light in her grasp. She then offered that light to me.

You can have my voice for as long as you want. I do not need it.

I’d lie if I say I had no reservations before I swallowed that light, but Logic told me to shove it and get on with our life. It’s difficult to argue with her cold reasoning. Bracing for pain that never came, I waited while Wind’s voice became a part of me. For a single heartbeat it felt as if I were abandoning another bit of my humanity. Heh, few of those left. To that, Logic shrugged her arms, everything has its price. I turned to Wind.

“Thank you.”

Well, that sounded...

“Congratulation my perverted master, now you sound just like them. My ears had never before been blessed by such overwhelming pleasure.”

“Twiggy?”

“Yes, oh most perverted one?”

“Shut it.”

“Your word is my desire, oh blissful one.”

Well, if she just laughed instead of trying to suppress it while pretending... oy, this is a whole bucket of wrong. I should not be able to read whatever comes from her core with such ease. Read and understand what she felt.

“Oy, twiggy, what else did you do to me while I slept?”

Something is out of place. Something changed. Even the voices noticed it.

“We too wish to know the answer to that.”

All the nearby spirits put their gaze upon my poor dryad. Try talking yourself out of that.

“I only did...”

She moisten her lips with her tongue and cast her doe eyed look at me.

“I only did what my master desired of me.”

And all their eyes went to me. Fire’s left eyebrow began twitching and I could hear her crackling knuckles. Yay me. Now I have jealous spirits to contend with.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Enough. I have no time nor desire to play this game. “

My new voice leveled out a bit and I went back from moaning like a spirit in heat to my more natural sound of a walking wet dream. A little bit murky, a little bit coarse, a little bit like a rustling velvet. It made the beastly, nasal tone of my speech more pronounced than before yet, at the same time, it appeared more, tempting. Like prey mocking hunters with its calls. Wild, dangerous yet enticing. A good voice. Well, there was still a bit of a suggestive spirit accent mixed in but nothing I couldn’t live with. If anything, Wind’s voice improved on the witch’s design. Now I did sound like a proper temptress.

It’s going to bite me in the ass later, wont it? Eh. Best if I change the subject and hope my throat heals fast.

“What happened with all the things we bought?”

“They are stored within your ring, along with the items you ordered. I also allowed myself to take a few samples and I can confirm all are of splendid craftsmanship. “

Now that I think of it, her pillows seemed secured exceptionally well. Not a single bounce since we walked together. You cunning rascal. Either way, let’s get out of the open. Now that Li saw me and run into the dorms, I’m sure troubles will follow.

“Twiggy, is the wolf in her office?”

“No. Master Altina has left for the capital with lady Garla about two weeks ago. She had some business matters to address in the capital. They will be awaiting your arrival soon. Should I notify the judge magister that you are ready to depart?”

“Depart?”

Was it that late already?

“Oh no!”

Fire came forward, thumping her foot and fuming. Her hair became one fiery blaze.

“You are not going anywhere until I get my date!”

“Sister, you already had your turn while blowing up that island, now is my time.”

Water slid in between us. What, are they teenagers now?

“Must I remind you my sisters, we had not yet agreed to who will take this first round. We should draw lots like mortals do. That I think would be fair.”

I would like to join in that draw.

Even new wind rushed into the fray. Eh. I need to find a way... oh, that may work.

“Cora, I remember you got a deck of cards?”

“Yes, I have three of those.”

“Can you get them for me?”

She vanished for a moment and reappeared holding a wooden case with three stacks of cards. Each deck held nine distinct symbols, each drawn on five cards. In total it gave me one hundred thirty-five cards. One of such symbols was a silhouette of an elf’s head. Quite a neat one I must say. With flowing hairs, pointy ear and lovely lips. But the loveliest was its name. The hoe. Yeah, pointy ears of this world had magnificent reputation among all the species.

Anyway, I went through the cards and removed all but four copies of the amply called elven lady then hid the extras within my ring and shuffled the remaining cards.

“Well, since you are raging to duke it out, here are the rules; One, no cheating. Anyone cheats and the whole deal is off. Two, among the cards, four elves are hiding. The one to gather all four and only those four shall receive the prize.”

I jabbed a thumb at myself and kept on shuffling.

“As stated before I’ll go on a date with one of you.”

“What about the wish?”

“Yes, if its humanly possible and if it’s something I won’t find bothersome, the winner gets a wish out of me.”

Several other spirits suddenly found our conversation interesting but a friendly growl from Fire sent them away. I wonder if this will ever stop.

“Three, you sit in a circle and start by drawing a single card in turns, from oldest to youngest, until one of you gets the first pair. A pair means two cards with the same symbol. The person with the first pair will be a starting point. From now onwards you will play in turn, going left. So, after your move the person on your left plays next and others wait.”

Good. So far they did not protest.

“Four, when you move you can either put down a pair or pick a card from the stack. Five, if you get triplets, as in three identical cards, you can play them, and this will earn you the right to take a single card from one of your opponents. Six, if the stack runs out before you finish the game, you shuffle the already played cards and create a new stack. Here are your cards. No cheating, that’s an order.”

My solution, as poor as it was, favored none of them while giving them a feel of actual battle. They took it better than I thought they would and vanished after snatching the cards out of my grasp. This should give me some time before they get bored or figure it out. Collecting four cards of the same type while getting rid of others won’t be that easy. I hope.

“What a cunning master I have. That will take them forever.”

Cora waved her hand and we watched as the wall put itself back together.

“You think so? I’d be content with anything over a day.”

“Oh yes, my cunning master. The last time I heard spirits played a mortal’s game, it took them four hundred years to start. I wonder if this time they will be smarter about it.”

I hope not. Please? Whoever is toying with the dice of my life, do me this favor. Just once.

Enormous power surge rippled through my bones as an earth-shattering explosion came thundering from the main hall. Instincts I didn’t know I had, flattened me on the ground and made me hug my head in a feeble attempt to shield it from incoming shrapnel.

Yet none of it came.

Heartbeats turned into seconds, seconds turned into a minute and no shockwave came. Stranger yet, nobody seemed to care.

“Fear not, my courageous master. It is only the judge magister, yet again, evaluating my patience.”

Cora helped me up and pat out my gown. A big frown appeared on her forehead when one patch of grass she shook off, left a long green smear across my chest.

“You should change and let me wash it or it will stain.”

“Wait, what are you saying? She did that before?”

“Yes, about tenth time already. For one reason or another, she made herself believe that there is a barrier sorrounding the guild hall that is blocking her entrance. “

“And Is there a barrier?”

“No. Why would there be? Ever since this place became a domain of those troublemakers, no one can enter or leave without their consent. Your escort is wasting her time and mana.”

Well, she will have to wait until I can deal with next set of troubles coming my way.

“Go tell her I’m getting ready so she can stop blowing stuff up.”

Cora eyed the incoming procession.

“As you wish.”

She excused herself as I turned towards Vittoria and other approaching girls.