Chapter 107 Request
“The request is simple and one that every demigod has done at least once. Space is the ‘first among equals’ and has seen all of our Status Pages. The request is from him.” Judgment began. “The declaration must wait until I have heard your answer.”
Isaac narrowed his eyes at Judgment. “I have not met Space and thus will not accept his request. If you, Judgment, needed to see it so all of you would leave me alone for a while, we could work something out.” Isaac offered. “I would, of course, require a vow of silence from you first. But my real question is why? Why is it needed?”
“Space has a special Identify ritual that reveals a person’s divinity.” Judgment replied simply. “The declaration is as follows: Isaac Wexler, of another world come to ours, has been tested and was found to be inexperienced, violent, distrustful, and potentially dishonest. He was also found to be neutral, loyal, and resolute, as well as capable of empathy, foresight, trust, art, and honor. In light of these things, until the next Council meeting convenes, all demigods are to maintain a stance of neutrality against him unless directly provoked.”
“Council meeting?” Isaac questioned.
“That is for demigods, and only demigods.” Judgment stated.
“When is it?” Isaac wondered. “I would like to know when a change in attitude against me might arrive.”
Judgment shook his head. “I am maintaining a neutral stance.” He told Isaac simply. “With that, I will leave and inform Space of your answer.”
“That’s it?” Isaac wondered.
“Yes.” Judgment replied. “Shall I leave the way I entered?”
“I’ll walk you out.” Lenna said and rose from her chair. When Isaac moved to follow her, she shook her head slightly and led Judgment towards the front door of their home. Once they were out of line of sight of Isaac, Lenna continued to make conversation with Judgment. “Judgment, I understand your stance of neutrality, but how do you feel, personally, about my husband and I?”
Judgment had hardly looked at her, not out of any ill will but simply because she was not the reason that he was there. This time his eyes locked onto her as they moved through the sitting room. “I do not like him. He lacks respect and restraint. You at least understand your place as a mortal. My only irritation at you was for your part in my previous demise, though I know the righteousness in it. That is all.” He answered her directly.
Lenna nodded in acceptance of his answer. “Thank you, Judgment, for the answer and the visit. Though, I believe that it is customary to offer a token gift when arriving unannounced. This time we were not able to offer you proper hospitality, however, if you were to arrive with, say, tea or flowers from your homeland, I would make sure to offer you our utmost hospitality.” She told him as they reached the end of the V’Nova Wexler property.
Judgment stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding. “I understand.” He replied. “I will take that into consideration in the future.”
Lenna bowed slightly to him. “Good travels to you and may the moon light your path in the darkest of nights.” She offered, as a farewell.
“And may the righteousness of your deeds be rewarded and the wrongs against you be punished accordingly.” Judgment replied with a nod before he launched away in a whoosh of air towards the exit of the underground cavern that all the residents of Safeharbor called home.
“You are a far more pleasant hostess than I am a host.” Isaac told her as he walked out of the front door to stand next to her just inside their front gate. “I just feel this urge to rile him up whenever I see him.”
“You did well.” Lenna praised him. “I could feel your internal struggle at times.”
“I was that obvious?” He wondered.
“To me, yes.” Lenna replied. “I cannot speak on whether or not Judgment noticed.”
Isaac nodded. “A position of neutrality is far too ambiguous. The indeterminate timeframe is the real problem.” He thought aloud. “We will need to have a conversation with Time’s friend at some point. I do not like that he is the de facto ruler of demigods.”
“Only the human ones.” Lenna explained. “There is a mountain, a peak that reaches towards the heavens yet is built on the fires of the hells, far to the north. There is a demigoddess that lives there that has never allied with any faction, nation, or race. The drow empire has tried everything from diplomatic envoys to offerings to a declaration of war and she has laughed at them every time. There is a howl that follows the night as it races across the planet through places that no other demigod nor mortal would dare to tread, simply to stay under Lua’s light, that howl cares not for politics or Councils. There is a tree so tall and wide that her leaves blot out the sun and her roots are warmed by the lava deep underground, her spirit cares only about herself and what she can see.”
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“Elvish demigods?” Isaac wondered once he was sure she was done.
“Most of them, but the first is unknown. She doesn’t look like any race that is around today, and is venerated all across Primatia by those in need of just a bit more strength to succeed.” Lenna explained.
Isaac nodded in understanding. “You are telling me that even if the human demigods are being dodgy about how they plan on dealing with us, well, me, that the non-human ones couldn’t care less.” He surmised
“Yes, but also, I wanted you to know that allying with them is not the only way, just most likely the safest.” She replied.
Isaac nodded and put his arm around her. “Thank you.” He told her.
“Of course.” She said with a smile. “You call me ‘ancient’ so often, I figured you could use some ancient wisdom from time to time.”
—
“Shamesh!” A little girl called out as she ran towards the retainer made of bones. Their matching black attire with silver buttons and deep red wine colored undertones would have marked them as being together even if their matching headbands of silver, orange, and black cord hadn’t.
“Miss Martha, I believe you have been informed on the risks of staying too close to me.” Shamesh replied calmly as he turned to meet the oncoming little maid.
“I don’t have to be any taller.” She told him. “You can reach all of the high places.”
If Shamesh could have sighed then he would have. He had no idea why the little girl had taken a liking to him but she had. Her older sister obviously didn’t like him for a just as unknowable reason and her mother was understandably wary of him. They all had been informed about the potential risk to the young ones' growth that being next to Shamesh’s leaking death flames could pose. Martha hadn’t cared in the slightest. “Miss Martha, is there something you require my assistance with?” He asked his junior in the position of taking care of the V’Nova Wexler manor, but senior in the position of being sapient being.
Martha leaned in close and loudly whispered towards him: “I heard something about a wedding. Who is getting married?” She wondered with giant eyes and barely contained excitement.
“Our Lord and Lady.” Shamesh replied simply. “I was certain that you had all been informed.”
“What?” Martha hitched. “But Len- Lady Lenna said that Lord Isaac was her mate.”
Again, if Shamesh could have sighed, he would have. “You should refer to them as Lady V’Nova and Lord Wexler, miss Martha, remember?” He corrected her.
“Well?” Martha pressed on as if she hadn’t heard him.
“Yes.” Shamesh replied. “Lady V’Nova is an elf and elves mate for life. They have already mated and are thus a mated pair. However, in human culture it is customary to have a formal event where a higher power recognizes the pair as being husband and wife.”
Martha nodded along sagely. “What does mating mean?” She asked as her follow up question.
Shamesh instantly knew how his master had felt when he had a seemingly endless amount of questions. The skeletal retainer thought about his reply to the little maid for only a moment before he settled on the best response that he could think of. A response that had been spoken countless times over the course of history and would no doubt be spoken countless more times for all of the future as long as new mortals were being born: “You should go ask your mother. She will have a better answer than me.”
—
“Mom,” Madeline spoke in a hushed tone. “shouldn’t we be keeping Martha close so, you know, she stops trying to play with that monster?”
“Shamesh.” Margaret corrected. “I have spoken with him and he assured me that he would try to send her back to one of us whenever possible.”
“You trust it?” Madeline questioned. “It is very clearly some skeleton creature out of nightmares. Actually, it’s in my nightmares.”
“He is our senior here.” Margaret corrected again. “But yes, he is right out of a nightmare. That does not give you or I the right to speak about him like he is some uncaring walking nightmare. Lady V’Nova has made it quite clear, and I have come to the conclusion as well, that Shamesh is still quite young and is still trying to learn how to live. You should be nice. If for no other reason than the last thing that anyone wants is for your fear of what he might be to turn him into that very thing.”
Madeline shivered just from the thought of her mother’s words. “Still, where is Mar?”
“What?” Margaret asked and looked around. They were supposed to be unpacking all of the linens that had just arrived and she had only just realized what Madeline had opened their conversation with. “Mar!” She called out across the manor. She was glad that neither the Lord nor the Lady were home.
—
“White, silver, violet, royal purple, orange, crimson, or black?” Sera asked Lenna for the thousandth time as she went over yet another decoration that Lenna couldn’t even remember the proper name of.
“Sera, please, just do what you think is best.” Lenna replied wearily. “I can run a dozen miles in armor without getting tired but you have thoroughly exhausted me.”
“Well.” Sera began. “This is what happens when you wait until two weeks before the wedding to make any actual decisions. I had to practically drag you out of the house to decorate your own wedding venue.”
“Isaac is better at this kind of thing.” Lenna pleaded. “Can’t he do it?”
Sera narrowed her eyes on the woman far her senior in years but not in life-learned wisdom. “No. It has to be you.” She declared.
“Why?” Lenna asked for the fifth time.
“Because the woman chooses the decorations for the venue and the man chooses the menu. That is just how it is supposed to be.” Sera explained for the fifth time to her.
Lucius chuckled from the doorway nearby. “Thank you, Lady V’Nova, for taking the brunt of this for whoever ends up being my future wife. You are truly a blessing.” He told her with a smirk.
“Lucius, you and your future wife are not welcome.” Lenna replied and then turned back to Sera. “And Sera, you do remember that I cannot tell the difference between half of these colors in the ever changing lights of this place, right? If it was always dark then I could at least help decide what colors blend well.”
“Oh.” Sera replied. It appeared that she had forgotten, again. “Henry needs to get back to me about those color vision potions.” She added in a grumble under breath
—
“Meat.” Isaac told the chief chef of the Arbencroft estate. He was not going to be the one making the food for the wedding but he was there to consult with Isaac on what the menu should be. “As many kinds from nearby as relatively easily possible. As long as none of the smells or flavors clash too much we should be fine. Do the same thing for vegetables. I want all of it. There had better be at least a dozen dishes that I’ve never seen before.”
The chef grinned at Isaac. “I am not sure how well the hired hands will do it, but I am sure that local variety is something that I can do. I can guarantee that you won’t have even heard about half of what we will be serving.” He promised.
Isaac gave him a nod and turned to leave. “Well, that was easy. I hope Sera hasn’t turned Lenna into a zombie while I was gone.”