Chapter Seventy Three

The Matriarch shivered, excitement flowing through her even as she slipped out of her room. She'd attempted to sleep after her daughter had revealed the news of her soon Queenship, but found herself unable to. So, she dressed and headed out, thrilled to put the eccentrics cultivation recommendations into practice immediately. If she could not sleep, at least she could take advantage of the time. The Matriarch strode through hallways, heading to the training grounds while struggling to maintain an even pace and her dignity. This was the first time in an incredibly long time she was excited to be training once again. She’d long reached her limit, or so she thought, and felt that there was little else she could do or seek, her growth stunted and her potential now locked. She knew that she was playing with fire, in some small way, to be taking advantage of the eccentric's training methods before verifying with him but her daughter was to be Queen and that, if anything, gave her confidence to at least attempt the training. For now.

Gwennie! A Queen! The first in… generations, no! Millennia!

The matriarch shivered in excitement like a young child but allowed herself the indulgence as the greatness of both the Queenship and the eccentric’s gift of his training was worthy of excitement.

She made it to the training yard and began her old morning routine with gusto, not holding back as she normally did since she had to empty her stamina. The night sky dark above her but her private training grounds lit by the brilliance of the cradle helped by some few light artifacts. As soon as her stamina was gone, she immediately felt her exhaustion but instead of stopping to rest as she normally did, she continued fighting. The feeling was one so miserable that she almost feared that the eccentric had poisoned her or even deviated her cultivation, but then she remembered the eccentric claimed and trained his own apprentices using this very method so she persevered, continuing her effort and refusing to quit. But, as time went on, her efforts became ever more difficult while simultaneously increasing in pain and misery.

She soon grew so exhausted she could barely stand, and she sat on the ground in fear and worry over the intense pain. But barely a moment later, the pain fled from her and she felt only a subtle weakness. It was a weakness she'd never felt before, but it was a bit terrifying. She stood and walked around the training hall and soon felt her old, if weak, composure return. She grinned. It was only temporary! She grinned and began again, and this time allowed the collapse and rest, more confident. The rest returned her comfort and erasing the pain which only returned her confidence in the eccentrics methods and she began again.

She didn't know how long she trained that night, the exhaustion and weakness growing more and more each time, but immediately fading, and she grinned. It... is much faster than Gwen described. But... it is as the eccentric described. When her excitement for both Gwenvair and her renewed training exhausted itself, she found herself tired but immensely satisfied. Life for her and her clan might truly have a bright future. She headed to bed satisfied and excited for life.

* * *

The Matriarch woke in the morning and hated her life. She groaned in pain and struggled to shift or turn but every small shift shot pain through whatever part of her body she attempted to use. Liquid pain slithered through her veins, through her limbs and coiled around her stomach. What has he done!? It hurts! Her mind drifted and felt only pain, an attack equal to some of the mind and spiritual mages she'd encountered. A particularly loud moan brought her maid running to her, but the pain proved all-encompassing and she did not notice the great commotion forming around her.

* * *

Gwenvair prepared for her morning, her day set to meet with the eccentric and Kilniara once more. Her plans from yesterday had ping ponged back and forth so rapidly in only a day and her emotions had followed even more erratically after. Today found her ecstatic and she prepared quickly. The day before had been long, her talk with her mother the night before and her jittery energy while trying to fall asleep in bed had left her without sleep.

The pounding on her door, however, broke her from her reverie and she stood to walk to the door but kept her grace as she moved; it was expected of her. Another panicked knock occurred before she even made it to the door.

“I’m coming. I’m coming.”

Gwenvair’s reply was a bit forced but she still was able maintain the appropriate speech and manner of a matriarch and first in line for matriarch. She was, however, unable to appropriately maintain that demeanor, when she heard the news.

“Your mother has fallen ill!”

Gwenvair’s breath hitched and she had to clench her teeth and her fists behind her back to give herself enough control to maintain equilibrium.

“Where? And details, quickly.”

“She is in her chambers. I know not what has happened. I believe she trained last night, but this morning she is in pain. She may have been poisoned! We do not know.”

Gwenvair froze, her fear spiking and she had to fight to keep herself calm. Her mind taking a moment to reevaluate and quickly came to the only option, the only hope, she could think of.

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“Get the eccentric now! He is our only hope.”

The maid quickly bowed but Gwenvair had already left her behind, moving quickly at the approved pace for emergencies. It was vital that she maintain propriety so as to give people faith and prevent panic. Her movement was rapid but controlled. When she made it to the courtyard, she found her mother laying on the courtyard brick, eye’s barely open but her head obviously lolling as she lay on the ground. She must be poisoned! Her symptoms seemed obvious as lay on the ground, obviously unable to control her body while moaning in pain. She glanced up, looking around at everyone else in the courtyard and everyone simply stared, looking on in pity, fear, and schadenfreude. Please, Joe. Please help.

* * *

Joe woke with the pleasurable and comfortable pressure of Kilniara resting against him once again. He yawned, stretching with the rising morning and relishing the joy of a good rest. Kilniara quickly noticed his rising and pulled herself up onto his chest, looking down in his eyes. He saw her looking down upon him and smiled, her own lips curving up in a smile of her own before she leaned down and kissed him lightly. He accepted the kiss but didn’t allow it to deepen, enjoying the moment before retreating. He pulled back and looked up at her, her eyes closed, slowly opening to look at him.

“Hi,” Joe spoke softly with a smile.

“Hello, Joe,” Kilniara whispered back.

They remained silent for some time, staring into each other’s eyes for a bit until Joe sighed, “Right. Let’s get back to exercising.”

Kilniara grinned at that, her smile becoming a bit evil as she looked at him, “Getting a bit too much?”

“I am more than man enough to admit that you are incredibly hot and very difficult to handle!”

Kilniara giggled at that but did not push it, simply curling up into his side before sighing deeply in contentment and began expressing her mana, the rush of mana easily sensed and seen by Joe. Joe’s own sigh joined Kilniara’s, although it was not one of contentment, and he turned to his own magic training as he lay in the darkness of predawn. Their training went well without any interruptions as the two didn’t distract each other during that time. The practice, however, didn’t seem to offer any meaningful gains although Joe was long used to this. The development of skills required a long and dedicated effort.

Their practice continued until the boys stirred and Kilniara slipped out of the bed quickly with that, although she stopped to kiss him intimately before slipping quickly but quietly from the room. Joe stirred a few moments later, sitting up and lighting a small candle with some flint and steel, a long, annoying, and error prone task that he was starting to get better at. It still left him with skinned knuckles and an annoying process each morning.

The light of the candle was bright enough in the dimness of the room that the two stirring boys flinched and groaned, truly waking as they rolled on their beds. Joe smiled at the complaints.

“Rise and shine. Time to go.”

Garnedell groaned but began to rise, “Uuhh…”

Zilnek, however, was more vociferous in his rejection, “No. No exercise. I want to sleep.”

Joe didn’t really say anything but used the candle to light another and continued to brighten the room as he walked around the room without concern for the noise. Garnedell rose quickly and began his ritual in memory of his family, Joe wisely remembering to be very silent this time. Several minutes later, Zilnek rose up and Joe soon had them out in the courtyard practicing vigorously once more, with Joe leading the way. The healer arrived on time, this time, healing Joe and Garnedell easily enough before joining them for breakfast. Breakfast followed immediately after but the day deviated rather quickly at that point with an interruption to their meal.

“Eccentric Joe? Is Eccentric Joe here?”

Joe heard his name called and looked up, glancing towards the door to find a well-dressed young guard of some kind. The young guard was staring around the room, worry evident in his eyes as he rapidly searched the room.

Joe stood and looked towards the guard, “Yes? How can I help?”

“You are Eccentric Joe?”

“I am Joe.”

“You are to come with me.”

Joe paused at that, concerned, thinking carefully before replying “I am willing if I am asked, but if I am commanded, I have to insist on knowing the reason.”

The guard froze, looking back up at Joe with a bit of fear evident in his eyes, “I… apologize, Eccentric. I do not know why.”

Joe nodded, “Then can you tell me anything else? Who is asking for me? What is happening?”

The guard struggled, obviously trying to find what he could say, but seemed to become much more respectful, “I apologize, Eccentric. I only know that the First in Line for Matriarch ask that you come quickly. I cannot… say more as I do not know. Please, come.”

Joe immediately stood up and spoke a bit more quietly, keeping the volume low enough that it was only between the two, “Is Gwenvair OK?”

The guard blinked at that, seemingly shocked before shaking his head, “First in Line for Matriarch is fine, but… please.”

Joe stared at the guard who seemed to grow progressively more nervous but didn’t look away. Joe’s thoughts whirled for a bit before grasping the only conclusion he could think and stated, more than questioned, the situation, “It’s an emergency.”

The guard seemed to become very relieved and only nodded his head once but seemed to add weight to his nod with sternness to the eyes. Joe breathed deeply and nodded.

“Right. Let’s go. You guys…” Joe turned to look at the other three then seemed to come up short on what to really say. It was the weekend, if his calculations were correct, and he had planned to give them the day off.

“Actually, you guys have two choices. Do you wish to come along or do you want a free day? It’s the weekend and I was going to give you the day off anyway. Come or take a break.”

Zilnek’s response was quite fast, “Break!”

Garnedell seemed to waffle, looking between Zilnek and Joe. Joe laughed and shook his head.

“You can go, Garnedell. It is a free day. I’ll be fine. Do what you want.”

Garnedell seemed relieved at that and turned to Zilnek, giving him a high five. Uh… when did they learn to start doing that… been around me too long, I guess?

Kilniara looked at him and he smiled, shrugging his shoulders, “Whatever you want.”

“I want to come!”

Joe laughed and nodded, “Right. Let’s go then. Oh… Chulnan, could you heal Kilniara and Zilnek then? Or… heal Kilniara now so we may go. You can heal Zilnek when he is done eating.”

Chulnan immediately nodded as he came forward, seemingly quite a bit more nervous than previously, even bowing slightly to Joe before healing Kilniara quickly. Joe nodded his thanks and turned back to the guard, Kilniara beside him.

The guard had grown ever antsier with the time but didn’t push Joe but grew quite relieved when Joe turned to follow, pointing him to lead. Kilniara came to his side quickly while the two boys fell back in their seats to continue eating. Kilniara appeared to be very concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

Joe shrugged, “I’m not sure. Gwenvair asked for me, but something isn’t… going well, so we have to go pretty quickly.”

Kilniara nodded at that but still seemed worried. Joe saw this and calmed her.

“Don’t worry. The guard said that Gwenvair is fine, but there is something… so … yeah.”